Precious Time

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Misty Morning Photograph J. Hulsey

Two times a year in the Midwest, we are treated to a plein air painting opportunity which should not be missed. It is happening right now, earlier than usual. Winter is on its way out and the air is warming, but before spring can burst forth with new green finery, the colors and architecture of winter remain for just a little while longer. Cool, even cold nights are quickly warmed by bright early morning sun. That change of air often brings the gift of lovely scrims of light fog. These hazy, misty mornings turn our world into an ethereal dreamscape suitable for framing. These are not heavy blankets of fog, but light veils created by the temperature difference between cold ground and warming air. Distant trees and landscapes are turned into powdery blue and blue-violet backdrops for anything we might wish to paint. I especially look for hillside swathes of little bluestem grasses which radiate their bright orange winter c…