RiverDance

The Winter of 2022-3 deposited a legendary amount of snow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and we are now experiencing the full fecundity of mother nature. Our surging river, fed by snowmelt high in the mountains south of here, is in deep conversation with the land.  Water is redrawing the riverbanks with deep curves, exposing a fine drapery of roots. Great blooms of wildflowers dance at the edges.  Massive willows and alders rooted in the rushing waters, nod their heads in time with the smooth waves flowing around them.

The place we call the ‘Swimming Hole’, a rocky/sandy beach that usually offers us a fun spot to play, got transformed into an island for a while this Spring. I’ve painted this spot many times over the years, in different seasons, different lights. The endless cycle of change I witness here is an honor to behold.

The artist Bill Russell visited my studio recently, and observed that this river is perhaps, ‘my Giverny.   I absolutely agree, and take great joy in living and working here.