Beehunter Marsh

© Robin Edmundson, 'Beehunter Marsh - Thaw', watercolor, 7 x 11 inches.  $225
[Matted and framed to 11 x 14 inches]

This place makes me so happy.  Limited palette:  raw umber, permanent brown, Payne's gray.  

Spirit of Place, Again

© Robin Edmundson, 'Goose Pond - 530', watercolor, 10 x 14 inches.  $375
[Matted and framed to 16 x 20 inches]

Another view of the marshes from the photos I took on our anniversary.  I'm kind of loving the movement of the grasses here.

Goose Pond

© Robin Edmundson, 'Goose Pond - 531', watercolor, 18 x 24 inches.  $750
[Matted and framed to 25 x 31 inches]

As I've worked with this reference photo and explored the spirit of this place, I decided to work bigger and tried this piece on an 18 x 24 inch block.  It helped me get a bit more personal with the marsh grasses. 

Spirit of Place

© Robin Edmundson, 'Goose Pond - 529', watercolor, 9 x 12 inches.  $375
[Matted and framed to 16 x 20 inches]

On our anniversary in March, I took a bunch of photos of that blustery day at Goose Pond and Beehunter Marsh to use as reference photos for future paintings.

One in particular keep calling me.  It was nothing special - dark rainy clouds, rain obscuring part of the distant trees, a sweep of wet golden grassland.

It took a few weeks to start painting it, but now I can't stop.

I realized that I wasn't responding to the rain or the grass, but rather the spirit of the place.  The wild and windy spirit of that day.  The crazy weather, the birds, frogs, wind, water, snakes, bugs, clouds, sudden blue skies, then more lashing rain.   All of it.   I love all of it.  I can't stop painting it.

Goose Pond

Recently, I was thinking about the things that make me happy.  Someone suggested doing a Mind Map  of them - an activity I found very useful for figuring some things out.  I had a whole section of things that lift my spirits.

Goose Pond [and Beehunter Marsh] is one of them.  I love the birding, I love the views, I love the farmland.  It never disappoints.  On Thanksgiving, while the turkey was roasting, we took a drive over there.  Above is one of the views from the new visitor center.   I love these views.

We wound around the hundreds of acres of fields, pools and ponds and right off the bat, we found a bald eagle enjoying his dinner atop a muskrat mound.   He was completely unfazed by the large crow that was flying around close by.

On the drive, we were lucky enough to see 8 whooping cranes.   8 years ago, this was unheard of, but Greene County has been attracting more migratory birds and we were so excited to come upon a feeding pair in a field, then another pair in an other field and then 2 more pairs in a third area. 

We saw hawks, harriers and loads of ducks and even a pair of trumpeter swans - and they were in a pool that was close to the road so we could get a good pic.

So thankful we live near this place.   It makes me want to be a better steward of the property we have.