"Banks Twp Park - Ice Chunks"

"Banks Twp. Park - Ice Chunks" -- plein air field study -- oil on canvas 8x16" -- Margie Guyot

It was another glorious, sunny day here, so I decided to venture up to Banks Township Park.  Pulled on my long underwear and ultra-heavyweight down coat.  And this time I wore hiking boots with ice grippers.  Unlike Barnes Park (see previous post), Banks Park lacks a steep hill, allowing the icy winds to sail right along. 

See that distant little point sticking out?  That's where I hiked to paint.  There's a rocky point that juts out and after my experience of falling into a crevass, I wanted to play it safe and stick to the rocks.  And I was so glad I'd bundled up.  The wind was brutally cold out there.

Things always are exciting out on that point.  I set my gear down and walked all around, looking for the most amazing spot.  What I loved was the little area of ice chunks that had floated into a cove.  Everything was freezing shut again.  The colors were subtle, but I was fascinated by this view.  Again, I'm looking south, towards Elk Rapids and Traverse City. 

One of the advantages to using a Soltek easel is the sides flip up, allowing the palette surface to be shaded.  Trying to mix colors on a palette that's in bright sunlight is pretty difficult.
After finishing this one I hiked around a little, but when my boot fell into another small crevass, I decided to quit when I was ahead!

"Thawing Ice - 3/04/10" -- plein air field study -- oil on canvas -- 12x24" -- Margie Guyot

Spring is slowly arriving here in NW Michigan. Ice patterns out on Lake Michigan have captured my interest this winter. Today I went to one of my favorite little parks, Banks Township Park, just south of Norwood. It's one of the few parks I can drive into without getting stuck. I perched my Soltek easel on a side of the hill overlooking the shoreline. Every time I go there, the ice looks different.

The diagonal "stripes" in the foreground were caused by the strong winds, blowing the snow along the beach.

I loved the almost turquoise-looking water that showed up in spots. Lots of chunks of ice floating around, blown in by the wind. A few diver ducks were present. Although it was a balmy 40 degrees, I was grateful to have on my heavy down coat and hood, gloves and winter boots. That wind was cold! I'd forgotten to change pants, though. I had on a pair of jeans that have a little rip - and that cold wind was blasting through.

That's the Leelanau Peninsula in the distance. I'm glad spring is on the way, but I must admit I'll miss painting the ice.

"Banks Twp. Park 2/21/10" -- plein air field study -- oil on stretched canvas -- 10x20" -- Margie Guyot

A beautiful sunny day here and the temperature rose above freezing. Still, I was glad I had my heavy down coat, balaclava, hat and gloves! That wind coming off the lake was still pretty chilly. I parked in the lot at Barnes Township Park and pitched my easel on the little hill overlooking Lake Michigan. A low cloudbank was in the west, but otherwise it was blue skies. The ice was breaking up and I loved this view. Snow has melted enough to catch glimpses of the boulders along the sandy shoreline (in the foreground). In the distance you can see the Leelanau Peninsula.