"9 Mile Point - 3/06/10" -- plein air field study -- oil on stretched canvas -- 10x20" -- Margie Guyot

Spring is coming. The ice out on Lake Michigan is starting to break up and pile along the shoreline. This spot is south of Bay Harbor, between Charlevoix and Petoskey. There's a pull-off area along US 31 for parking. I was thankf...ul for my snow boots and heavy down jacket. Although it was about 40 degrees, the wind howling off the lake made it feel a lot cooler. I was struck by the patterns of jagged ice that ran diagonally along the shore. As I painted, big chunks of "icebergs" floated in. It was getting to be late afternoon and I just loved the blue shadows. Painting snow colors is quite interesting. If you've never had to paint them, snow colors are surprising. Snow isn't white, but ranges from lilacs to blues to yellowish-grays. Mesmerizing.