Dreaming of Summer

"Across the Pasture," watercolor, 4x6, 2017

If you're like me and feeling the winter in your bones--and few in this country have escaped--you're either caught in the grip of another blast of Arctic cold or recovering from it. It's not too early to start thinking--no, yearning is a better word--for summer. Certainly here in the frozen Midwest the memory of a sunny day in July, though bittersweet, can be warming and cheerful. So I dug out a few summer sketches to warm up.

The sketch above was done on the spot along the Cowpasture River in Virginia where we vacationed last summer. The red barn against all that green cried out to be painted.

"Susans and Lilies," watercolor, 4x6, 2016

Another sketchbook page, this one showing a stand of Turk's cap lilies in our front garden. There is a stand of trees and wild undergrowth behind them, along the creek. I sat in the garden and sketched the scene in ink and watercolor a couple of years back.

"Taco Loco," watercolor, 8x10, 2016

In Des Moines we have the great convenience and fun of food trucks parked in many of the public spaces. One of my favorites is this one, Taco Loco, that parks near the downtown Sculpture Garden once in a while. I had great fun sketching this one hot day in July. To my surprise, the owner spotted me and sent over a cold drink. Later on I showed him the sketch and sent him a e-copy.

All of these sketches encompass great memories of warm summer days, clear skies, and fine surroundings. And they're all the result of outdoor sketching. Drawing and painting on the spot is an activity I'm resolved to pursue through 2018, but not until the temperature manage to rise above freezing.