Openings and Reflections...

Opening, watercolor, 11x15 inches

The opening reception this week went well. A big thank you to the friends and colleagues who stopped by to check the exhibit, and to the Millennium Hotel for organizing the event and providing the nice refreshments.

This was a very busy week, with lots of work, the framing of a couple of pieces for upcoming shows, the reception at the hotel, and even a birth class... So once more it was the Boulder plein air group that saved the day, by providing me with the opportunity and pretext to go out and paint. At this week's session at the Boulder Creek, and it was my friend Nyla Witmore that pointed me to this section of the creek with a nice pool of bright green reflections contrasting with the darkness of the shaded bank and rocks. We looked at the light effect in wonder, and set up our easels, and in a matter of minutes, as soon as we were ready to paint, the light had shifted and the effect was gone... I had to rely on my memory of the position and color of the lighted area to create my study, which was quite difficult. It made me hesitant, and the piece became overworked, but at least it captured a little of the scene. A good reminder that as artists we have to train ourselves to quickly grasp and hold on to the essence of what inspires us.

In the end this small painting became at the same time the product and the symbol of how fleeting the moments of wonder are, how quickly the windows of opportunity open and close, including that of my opportunity to paint, so I aptly titled it "Opening." I will be traveling on a business trip this week and might not be able to post again until Friday, but if an opportunity to sketch or write opens up, I'll be ready for it.