What you see is a very peaceful view of beautiful Walloon Lake on a summer afternoon. Now imagine trying to paint in winds so strong they would blow your palette off onto the ground. My entire easel nearly blew over twice before I caught it. Well, that’s what it was like to paint this peaceful view of the famed lake on “the perfect summer day”. And why does Walloon Lake sound so familiar? It was the boyhood home of Ernest Hemingway, who used the setting in a series of short stories.
It was truly one of those fabulous summer days, with temperatures in the 70’s. But I was so glad to find my Northface windstopper jacket in my truck: the windchill was rather invigorating. I ended up painting with my left hand gripping my palette and easel, muttering occasional curses. But I shouldn’t complain. The great Russian landscape painter, Isaac Levitan, painted in all seasons, in all kinds of weather. He wrote of having to tie himself to a tree because of a tremendous wind storm. OK then.
My setup (photographed as quickly as possible):
Margie Guyot Art 