Ranney Road is one of my favorite “seasonal” roads. It runs for miles, up and down ridges, some rather steep. 4WD is advised! Some spots are deep, sandy ruts. Other stretches are quite rocky and bumpy, with deep washout ruts. The county road crew never plows in winter – and I wonder if they ever plow in summer, either. Sometimes you can almost hear the theme song from “Deliverance” as you drive along through the maples and thick undergrowth of autumn olive, with No Trespassing and No Hunting signs.
I’m always searching for an interesting composition and this design of the road and shadows called to me. Some people can make quite beautiful paintings out of a flat, barren field (I think of Clyde Aspevig), but I flounder.
In my excitement to get painting, I didn’t notice my Soltek leg, sunk into the sand. They’re wonderful easels, but oh, those legs are so temperamental! Seems like every year I’m mailing in a leg to be repaired. I carefully wiped it clean as possible before collapsing.
Margie Guyot Art 