Along My Creek

"Downstream, Druid Hill Creek," oil on panel, 12x9, 2020, available

This has come up other times, but over the past few years of plein air paintings--watercolors and oils--one recurrent subject for me has been "my" creek. It flow through, south to north, probably not all that much different than it was decades ago. It's spring-fed and always runs, a few inches to several feet deep. Although I actually live less than ten minutes from downtown Des Moines we have abundant wildlife along the water--deer, grounhogs, foxes, even bobcats. It is a scrap of wilderness in the middle of an urban area. 

"Downstream," wc on paper, 8x10, 2020

"Winter on the Creek," casein on paper 8x10, 2019

Like many I chose this subject because of easy availability (just outside my studio window). Druid Hill Creek has become an important subject for me by simply being there, rather like Monet's garden in Giverney. The creek has many moods, many different faces, depending on the season. And because water and foliage present interesting challenges for study, I've worked on pictures of it from several viewpoints and in all seasons. 

As the seasons go by images of the creek in all kinds of weather will continue to accumulate, no doubt.