Wagner Butte with Farmland and Blackberry Bush, Oregon Print

I grew up on a farm and I am interested and inspired by being outdoors and enjoying the interface between farm and wild land. This ditch trail is about 800 yards from my home and is a special place I can go and enjoy privacy outdoors in my suburban/rural neighborhood. As a child, I learned to love wandering alone in the woods and fields near my home, and it remains a favorite pastime. This piece was painted en plein air, meaning out of doors, on site. The direct experience, as opposed to painting from a photo reference, allows me to interpret color more carefully and is done with a direct connection to the smell, sounds, temperature of the place, but requires returning the same time of day for several sessions to capture the light at that time of year.