One more curve of the Horseshoe Falls

I seem to never tire of this view. Two years ago, at my November open house, Marian & Bob Granfield purchased a pastel with a similar view and later another customer was also interested. She asked if I would please copy it for her.

It was a plein air, painted in midsummer heat as I scrunched myself and art supplies under my big white umbrella attached to the guardrail. It would not be possible to recapture the same heat and energy of that day without returning to the falls in hot sunshine.

It remained on my 'to-do' list, but the light or time was never right and two summers passed. However, during the Worldwide Paint Out in September 2011 I had set up on the state park lawn with a friend, Joan, to capture the Saturday afternoon light over Canada. Without thinking about it, the curve beckoned me and this is the result. A little closer view than the first painting, I was surprised that it was similar in colors to the first painting and sure Jennie would be pleased when she returned to the studio. Well, this past November she came in and liked this painting but went home with another view. That was fine with me, I was not quite ready to part with the first one and now this is on my gallery wall for a while and we are all happy.

September Energy, pastel 12x18 2011