Paintings by Kevin Macneil Brown, watercolor on paper, June 17, 2015
Too long between trips to the lake—my eyes, heart, soul were
more than ready for the water and sky on this perfect cool, clear June morning. As usual, I began the day with painting--and large iced coffee -- at Perkins Pier, lost
in a bliss of morning sun, boats and water and light in motion.
Time vanishes when I paint.
Running along the
bike path , beaches, shore, with my paints and brushes and paper in backpack, I stopped
when spirit moved me, painted some more, the distances, shapes and textures of lak e, islands, mountains, and sky shifting as I changed angle and vantage. At Oakledge I stopped for waves
and sun for hours. In the afternoon I made my way back the way I had come, but
this time in that shimmer of afternoon light that is one of the miracles of Burlington
Bay
Painting seemed such a flow today, a deep and energetic meditation. Perhaps it helped that I had found a new watercolor paper block that I really liked, in a size and dimensions perfect for what I was seeing. Also, I felt like I had arrived at just the right summer palette: Prussian Blue, Cerulean Blue, Permanent Rose, Yellow Ochre, Viridian, Payne’s Gray, White.
But even putting matters of technique and material to the
side, it remains that every time I come
to this familiar place, I find something new to see, feel, and paint.
-KMB
