Painting No. 94, Winter Loosens Her Grip
Spooner Lake, Nevada
8"x 6", oil on linen panel
The snow is beginning to recede from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. South facing slopes of many mountains have been cleared, leaving only the north slopes to slowly melt in the cool light of spring. Spooner Lake is full of icy water, the geese are bobbing across the surface and best of all, no mosquitoes....yet.
I decide to abandon the original idea of painting the lake and instead climb a small ridge looking for a composition that captures the newly exposed earth.
Below me on the lake trail, 4 hikers pass-by gingerly stepping from one icy purchase to another, being careful not to fall in the trampled slush. Despite the warm clear weather, the snow drifts and muddy conditions keep most people from bringing the family to this altitude.
The solitude of the mountains is both refreshing and invigorating as I take an hour to complete this plein air painting.
"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." - John Muir
