Cliffside Breezes

Cliffside Breezes, L. Daniel, 6 x 8, SOLD

Before I left for the Weekend with the Masters in Monterey, I pre-posted of some smaller studies I've been working on over the past weeks. They are a little like postcards to myself as I used them to process a few memories of my trip to the Pacific Northwest. Hiking next to the waters of the Puget Sound, we came across this bending tree, it's growth greatly impacted by the sea winds. It interested me to think about how the tree has adapted for survival there, hunkered in and clinging to the cliff. Nature always finds a way.


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Woodland Window

Woodland Window, L. Daniel, 12 x 9

Up near the Puget Sound where I was visiting last week, I was constantly aware of being surrounded by water. The San Juan Islands glisten in the distance and the forested areas are deeply luscious. The foliage seems to understand that summer is very short, because it leafs out (rich and green) like there's no tomorrow. Coming from dry and thirsty Texas, it was quite refreshing.

Side note: While there, I also kept thinking about the Canadian painter (British Columbia), Emily Carr, who painted in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900's. She was a bold and adventurous plein air painter who completely broke with tradition and defied the mores of her time (woman painter, traveled into the wild to paint alone, mixed with native peoples, painted in a crazy newfangled style, and painted totem poles no less!) Susan Vreeland wrote a great book about her that I highly recommend - a fictional piece called "The Forest Lover". It captures a sense of the times and the strength of her great spirit. Being in her territory gave me new insight into what her work was all about.