Painting the Ordinary

Old Oak on College Avenue, watercolor, pen and ink, 11 x 14

I have a lovely long drive to work every day, about 20 miles through fields, woods, and small villages.  This is a great time for taking stock of my thoughts, listening to recorded books, and looking for future painting subjects. One place that I pass every day is this field with the giant old oak tree.  The past week the field in front of it has been showcasing an abundance of Black-eyed Susans.  I couldn’t resist heading to town on Saturday to paint this scene.  It was so serene.  Cooler weather, mocking bird singing, a doe and her fawn stopped to peer at me across the field.  The occasional jogger and walker.

The point here is that sometimes when you’re searching for a subject to paint, you don’t have to go very far.  Look around you.  Beauty is everywhere.

Preparing to paint the old oak tree and field of Black-eyed Susans