347/365: "Nature's own masterpieces will never go away. If I'm able to cast just a few of them in favorable light & convince you to look at them again with greater appreciation & a fresh perspective, I have succeeded as an artist.

1 picture and a note above ! :)

Holy cow, it was over 30 degrees outside today! Finally, the snow is melting and the icicles are dripping away. The sound of snow and ice falling from the roof sometimes has us all horrified by the violent crashing!

This afternoon I went out with my camera, totally unimpressed by the messy landscape. Slushy snow, sloppy mud, dead grass...what ever could I find for a picture? So I told myself, "You know, there are a million amazing pictures right here in front of you. All you have to do is take the time to see them." Sighing deeply and very uninspired by the dismal scene, I had to admit that this advice was solid. After all, so many of you pros would find an amazing picture instantly!

I stopped and looked around me, trying to find something interesting. Ah ha! Some cool lichen encrusting a rock! And then more! But I didn't know if those pictures would be good enough to please a wide audience. But now that I'd found some success, the world opened up once again and the air twinkled with magic. I saw a flash of color and looked down as I passed a leaf laying in a puddle of melted snow, one edge lit up by the sun's rays. I nearly kept walking, but then I remembered that there was a huge potential for a lovely bokeh image if I could find it.

I studied the leaf and loved the texture of the veins, glowing warmly like panes of stained glass, and took a couple of pictures. Reviewing the images, I changed my angle and got lower, and lower still. THERE...the light hitting the water and snow, with the green moss in bokeh behind... that was exactly what I knew was there, and I just needed to look for it! :)

Idaho artist Scott Christensen is one of the most well-respected landscape painters in the country, and his understanding of light, ability to achieve pure color, and reverence for nature also make him a highly sought-after instructor. www.artistdaily.com/blogs/pleinair/archive/2009/04/09/en-plein-air-a-conversation-with-scott-christensen.aspx