"October -- Huron River" plein air oil on canvas -- 8x10" After several days of off & on snow showers and wind, our colors in Michigan are well into changing to the bright yellows, golds, oranges and reds of autumn. When I walked down to the river I was so excited to see the bright colors reflecting in the water! It looked almost abstract, with the strips of oranges and rusts and light and deep blues. There were maybe about 10 of us painters, all jockeying for position along the river, elbow to elbow. We all liked what we saw. Right in the middle of painting, a pair or white swans glided past us. I did this one pretty fast, in about 20 minutes, with 2 big brushes. That scene with the oranges & blues got me in one of those moods when I felt I had to race through (which isn't always a bad thing!). I may later use this little painting as a basis for a larger painting in the studio, and at that time I'll add the swans. Need I mention that it was cold and windy that morning? I had on longjohns, fleece and a down coat. Tried painting with wool mittens, but kept dropping my brush. Our gracious host drove up in his golf cart with mugs of butterscotch schnapps and hot chocolate. It sounds disgusting, but it's delicious -- even at 9:30 in the morning!