Marsh at Pawdash Lake

4 x 6 inches oil on canvas

Paudash Lake
19 September 2009

There used to be a creek running through a culvert under the highway here, but there was only an energetic volunteer fireman to tell me about it as I sat painting just inside the guardrail from the shoulder of the road, looking south across the wetland with my back turned to the lake.  He said that when the highway was repaired they neglected to replace the caved in culvert, and now there is still a  wetland but no more creek.  His brother lives in the house to the west of the wetland.  I can hear sounds of children playing from the house. 

Most of the forest is in its own shadow as the sun lowers in the west, but the billowy Maples still have their tops in the sunshine and the late afternoon sunshine is on the marsh.  Patches of autumn-bronzing Pickerelweed make crisp dark reflections of thin curving stems and curling arrow-head leaves.  We hear a splash from the lake across the road, and my new friend returns, announcing that there is a very large Beaver "checking out" the place where the culvert used to be.

I began with a dark indian red underpainting, well rubbed in, and had it all finished except the signature by the time the sun set.  Returning to the trailer, I find that Fred and Adam have left some supper  in the pan for me. Then we push on down the road as we must get to Clayton tonight.