For the love of Gray.......

Quinault's Winter Gray

9x12 oil on panel Last weekend, Vicki and i went to our cabin on Lake Quinault where i was able to paint plein aire for the first time this year. I decided to paint a scene that i have done quite a few times before, right off our deck that overlooks the lake with views of the hillsides directly across. I think the reason i can repaint this scene over and over, without getting bored, is due to the ever-changing weather conditions in Quinault which offers a different view of the same subject all the time. For that very reason, it also makes the area a challenge to paint as the lighting and subjects can change in a flash. Lake Quinault, like many Pacific Northwest wonders, really strut their stuff in the summer, but there is trememdous beauty in this rain forest on the Olympic Penninsula even during the winter months. And since gray is a crucial part of any painting, i found this a good opportunity to really drive home the message and mystery of that ever elusive passion i know as..........Gray.