I had to step away from the cornhusks today (!) and go out landscape painting. Or I’d just go nuts. But I haven’t been in the mood to paint the same-old, same-old stuff this year. I’ve painted the same views dozens of times. What could I possibly find that would actually be interesting? If not challenging? Could I find my “WOW!” factor? I stopped at Ogletree Creek, a gorgeous little stream emptying out of Toad Lake. It’s in the middle of nowhere, in thick woods, accessible only by a mud puddle-filled seasonal road, clogged in spots by fallen branches, but that’s a good thing. Keeps out the riff-raff. I’ve painted this creek a bunch of times, but never this particular view, looking down at the shoreline and boulders. That was a challenge! I loved the color of the bottom layer. Kind of a reddish-ochre, due to the iron content of the soil around here. The very edge of the boulders showed a wet, greenish tinge. Oh, it was fun! And challenging!
Oh yes — people always ask: did I see any fish? Just minnows today, but I’m sure there are some nice trout in the shadows.
The WOW factor: A scene has to have some kind of unusual, surprising, wonderful element to it, at least for me. When I see something that makes my heart go a-flutter, I know it’ll be a joy to paint. If it has no element of “wow”, then it’s plain old boring. Painting boring things is just too much like a job.
Margie Guyot Art 