As I write this, we are in the grip of an Oregon Winter. The days are short, with the sun rising at 7 AM and setting at 4 PM. The long days of Summer are a distant memory, and yet, as I study this painting I remember the buzz of insects and the late morning sun hot on my skin where it is not shielded by the umbrella. I smell the scent of fir in the air and feel the intense brightness of the light sting my eyes, bringing tears.
This distant view of Bear Valley from the Flagtail Lookout inspired me with it’s hazy blues and purples against the gnarled texture of weathered alpine fir; the feathery seed heads of the grass and alpine flowers forming a fragrant mat in the foreground. The thought of the shimmering distance in the Summer heat warms me as I trudge forward into January.