Straight from Lake Quinault

Lakeside List
9x12

Last weekend's trip to Quinault was mostly filled with work. However, Monday morning i did manage to get out and paint a couple plein aire studies. The Willaby Creek Campground has some interesting trees along the lake that are great subjects. The real treat with the trees in this area are their shapes and how few of them stand like a stagnant Beefeater. They're all over the place directionally and it helps to create some fun compositions.

 It was an overcast day, so there is not much in the way of dramatic light. Instead, i am trying to let the ccomposition do most of the speaking. There was some fresh spring color laden on the tentacle like branches of these two twisting listing trees that helps gives some zip to the piece.

However, on par with my thought process in painting, i want the viewer to feel the mood, feel the subject and become connected with the piece on a soulful level. This is something the Russian Masters were awesome at capturing. The work of painters like, Levitan, Korovan, and many others; the list goes on.....  are very inspiring to me and is certainly a level of painting that i strive for.

What list inspires you?.....