Nearing Sunset - the Deer Field

"Nearing Sunset -- the Deer Field" -- plein air field study -- oil on stretched canvas -- 8x16" -- Margie Guyot

The clouds looked promising for an interesting sunset painting at Rex Beach, so I loaded up the Flex and headed down Old Dixie Highway, towards Norwood.  On the way I decided to pull over and check out this field.  It's only about a mile north of my house.  What a view!  I had to paint it.


I love painting in late-day.  Love the shadow patterns and colors!  Very peaceful time of day.  Unlike where I used to live, in a suburb of Detroit, up here the air is clean.  Very little traffic.  Nobody hassles me.  I was able to paint this "unmolested".  The only sounds were the insects.  


Right here the soil is very sandy.  I guess it used to be part of the old lake bottom.  Lots of rocks.  If you're lucky, you can spot old Indian arrowheads.  Or maybe Petoskey stones, which are fossilized coral that was originally formed off the coast of Chile.  Over the millions of years, these fossilized coral pieces have moved (via plate-shifting) up to the coastline of Lake Michigan.  They're found nowhere else in the world.


So the soil is very poor in spots.  Some fields aren't used for crops.  There are certain weeds that do well here, however.  A type of wild sorrel, known by some as "British Soldiers" for its red blooms, likes it here.  And moss.  Daisies grow here, too.  I added a few into the foreground of this painting.  In the distance you see maples, aspen and birch.  Out of sight, to the right, is a lily pond.


My some miracle, the mosquitoes weren't too horrible.  Or at least I didn't notice them much.  Threw it all into the back of the Flex and hurried down to Rex Beach, where I painted a sunset scene (see next blog).