Roots Exposed Watercolor

Craving some en plein air instead of painting from a picture, I headed out on what seemed a mild day. But that wind…. That deceiving wind has a way of gnawing at your bones until you say, “I give.”

I brought my camping chair and paints on this fraud of a warm day and headed out to be alone. Thirty minutes in, my neck began to feel stiff. Wanting to be with this deceased gorgeous tree with its roots exposed for me to inspect, I held out for as long as I could but this was all I could do. The rest will have to be finished at home, I relent.

Nature does what nature needs to do. It does not consider a painter trying to finish a sketch. It does not consider the one not wearing enough layers of clothes. I know my place.

Beautiful but harsh. I still love it.