Lake Michigan Sunrise 02132016

Saturday, 0 degrees outside but clear and sunny.  I am painting in at my table by the north windows and I can feel the cold just on the other side of the glass.  I am not painting the winter scene outside, but the warm summer scene in my mind.    I am trying new ways of using my brushes, experimenting to make the grass on the beach.  More time equals more painting.  Feels good.

Jet Trails @Dawn

I often see the traces of the jets that fly at dawn, but never the actual jets.  I wonder why they are up so early and from where they are flying.  What is their destination? 

Sunrises over Lake Michigan are a favorite subject.  I often like the time right before the sun comes over the horizon, when it is still dark but the colors in the sky are vibrant.  I started this one a couple of weekends ago and it came out way too dark.  Today, I brought my card table out of storage, moved the furniture around in my bedroom, laid a drop cloth over the carpet and set up a permanent space for me to paint next to our north windows with the light from the east window at my back.  Then I sat down and took another stab at this one.  I am much more pleased with the results.  That is a good thing because I need to take something new into the Blue Heron Gallery.  I think this one will do 

Path to the Lake at Sunrise.

As you can see I am still exploring the Path to the Lake theme.  This one is inspired by a photo my friend Mary took before sunrise, which is WAY too early for me in July.  I am a winter sunrise photographer.  In this piece the sky is still dark enough for some stars to show.  Please do not lecture me on constellations that are visible in the east at Dawn.  This is a work of imagination, not documentation.