“Variety is the spice of life”, as they say.  I think without interjects of new experiences my life can feel void of creativity.  At times, one of my challenges with plein air painting can be deciding where to go that’s new. It’s not that the places I’ve been don’t have something to offer, I think it’s simply a need for change. 

This past Thursday I decided to visit a lake that my dental hygienist had mentioned when I was in for a cleaning on Wednesday.  I had already been thinking about going out to paint and sitting with the question of where to go that was new but not too far of a drive.  So when she and I started talking and I mentioned what I did for a living she started asking me if I had ever been to Assunpink Lake, my interest was peaked.  When I returned home I Googled the location and had my answer as to where to go!

With the beautiful weather on Thursday there was ample support for me making the 30 minute drive.  What I found was a long dirt road that in places reminded me of some trails in Maine where there was nothing but nature lining the dirt path down to the lake.  As I continued to drive, there was sun filtering through the trees and an extended sense of quiet.  Shortly I saw a small pull off with a view of Assunpink Lake!  Wow!  Everything I needed was right there.  A lovely landscape with shade trees to stand under.  Beautiful reflections and soft ripples moving along the water, birds singing around me and as the afternoon wore on a couple of friendly kayakers.  I think the only thing missing would have been the Loons.  

I set up my gear and relaxed with the cool summer breeze and painted away.  I loved the unique patterns of the vegetation and inlets in the distance.  Their reflections in the water and the entire pattern of shapes as they joined together gave me my composition.   As always the painting was an adventure waiting to unfold.  I let the colors, shapes and patterns of the vista take over and exaggerated it all, eliminating that which  seemed unnecessary, focusing on what felt closest to my heart. 

Categories: Landscapes, Nature, New PaintingsTags: abstract art, abstract paintings, art, assunpink lake, colorful paintings, contemporary art, contemporary women artists, expressionism, fine art, impressionism, lake paintings, landscape paintings, New Paintings, oil paintings, original oil paintings, paintings on canvas, plein-air painting, rendered impressions, small paintings, summer, trends, unique paintings