"Low Water Morning" - oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison
I've
decided to try and make Fridays an "Archived Works" day. I'll post a
painting, drawing or serigraph (silkscreen print) from the "archive"
files of years past...and give a little back story on the work. I hope
you'll find it interesting!
This
first posting will be a summer one - lets warm things up please! It's a
small oil painting of the creek across the road from our home and the
studio - Waterman Creek. I'll get into a background on the creek's name
some other time, but it has a lot of history with "known" Native
Americans...as far back as the Mill Creek culture of 1200 A.D. and
earlier. The oldest known "remaining" Native American crop field in Iowa is just behind
this view depicted...maybe 3-400 yards.
I'm
cognizant of these things when I'm out hiking - and I'll add that this
is private property that I've been given permission to walk - making it
even more special because I am less familiar with the landscape and its
much more of a privilege to be there.
If
you grew up near or on a creek or stream, you can relate to the draw of
it all...the sounds of the water rippling over and around rocks, the
occasional flash of minnows, a water strider or two in the back
pools...a crawdad on a clear bottom, or a frog jumping in ahead of your
gaze. They are a magnet to me.
When
I walk a creek, it brings back so much that I can be completely
distracted from "adult" things and usually that means my mission of
finding composition, color, movement and light...something to paint,
draw or photograph. It's a shame I've become so serious...I tell myself
to just chill and find a rock to sit on...just close my eyes and listen
- take it in and hang onto the moment.
This
painting was done more as a "study", a term meaning it may or may not
be revisited another time as a larger, more in depth work. I was happy
with the color usage and play...it was a drought year that summer and
the creek was easy to walk while running so low. This little painting
now resides in a private collection in Maine.
(This painting and other archived artwork can be viewed at - https://morrisons-studio.com/archived-works/ )
"Low Water Morning" - oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison
