The Art Spirit in Daily Life

As an artist and landscape painter, I sometimes wonder how often people view or react to any given scene in nature? Do they view it through the lens of a camera, a beautiful passing scene, something that they would like to draw or paint? Those are questions that only each individual can answer.

As for myself, I view every landscape as a potential painting. No scene or lighting condition goes unnoticed. When studying any given scene, I make either sketches or mental notes of color and design. When traveling from home to Blackberry and the return trip home, I see countless scenes worthy of recording.

A good number of the most dramatic scenes that I have recorded were on my drives home at sunset, or shortly after sunset when the sky was filled with long stretches of clouds which were aglow with colors from the setting sun. Along the horizon there is a faint glow of cadmium orange and yellow ochre, and the base of the clouds above reflect cadmium red and deep and varying hues of grey violets which fade to deep cobalt and cerulean blue above.

These are beautiful tributes to the end of a wonderful day. What works of art will tomorrow bring?

– John Coykendall, Blackberry Farm Master Gardener