Spring is Slow to Come

Winter came late, and now it looks like spring will, too. May 1st -- or "May Day," a time when one thinks of maypoles and May dances and flowers bursting into bloom -- was a dreary day here on the island. Misting drizzle and 39 degrees. But it was a perfect day for painting a little swamp near Eagle Hill Bog.

I've had my eye on this spot for some time. The dormant bushes are a deep, saturated red. It's the kind of color that shows better when the sky is overcast, and better yet when a little drizzle is coming down. I'm sure you've seen the same effect if you live in a place that has dramatic fall foliage. The yellows and reds always look washed out on a sunny day, but darn near incandescent on an overcast one. Such it was with my swamp.

I love the abstract quality of this scene. The dead snags add a lonely quality to it.

"May 1 - Still Waters," 8x10, oil/panel, en plein air. (Click on the image for a larger version.)