"November Fields" 14x18 ins. oil on canvas

We're going back to the same location tomorrow afternoon. I liked this scene right away when I saw it but realized that the corn stalk stacks and all that stubble were going to be a challenge and a half. It turned out O.K. I think but IT WAS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE! The whole thing has that kind of forlorn, "waiting for the first snows" kind of look.................. of course we could be in for a very long wait. That's a dormant volcano in the background and we did spy snow on the upper slopes one cold morning a few years back. We had a maid back in the 80's who saw flakes in the air when she was a little girl. 

People used to tell us that they couldn't move south permanently because they would miss the changing seasons - fact is the seasons do change here, only they just don't slide into that long, ghastly deep freeze one and all seasons are plein air painting seasons. You just have to find a little shade from time to time when it gets too hot. Am I gloating? You bet - this place is a painters delight!