Lloyd Lake Wetlands [oil, 6”x8”]

Just south of Highway 22x & 53rd St SW, near Calgary, a little gem of a park is waiting to be discovered.  It’s invisible from the road and is home to gazillions of birds – all chirping and squawking at once.  I went there to paint today with a group from the Calgary chapter of the FCA.  Sharon Williams is teaching this ‘plein air’ [aka outdoor painting] workshop.  I chose to paint this little scene of the reeds meandering through the lake.  I still haven’t taken the training wheels off my oil paints yet but I really do like what is going on in the top half of this one. 

As I prepared to leave this morning, I kept an ear tuned to the phone – the weather was that yucky!  As promised, it was cold, foggy, and drizzly in the morning but gradually cleared up this afternoon.  The change to these wetlands in different weather is incredible – it was worth braving the cold and wet to experience the changing light over this gorgeous little corner of the earth.

I look forward to painting again tomorrow at a different park.  We’re supposed to have great weather tomorrow – no doubt we will since we will all come fully prepared with our winter gear!  Enjoy!