August 2015

It’s probably no secret by now that I love painting water, but this image in particular was just screaming to me to be turned into a major painting. I was drawn to the patterns created by the different depths of water across the rocks, and at 3 feet by 3 feet, the size helps get across the impact of the spinning, falling and churning water. Most of all, I wanted to capture the movement of water and light in this little scene that I could have looked at all day.

I took the picture while on a backpacking trip with my son Beck, my brother Matt and my nephew Zack. Neither Beck nor Zack had ever been backpacking before, so Matt and I decided to take them on a hike we know well from growing up in upstate New York. The trail is just outside of Minerva, NY and leads to the Blue Ledges – which is an impressive rock cliff on the opposite side of the Hudson from the trail end. Matt and I had hiked this many times, but had never camped at the sight – so we were excited for this trip. While camping on the river, though, Beck and Zack were beyond excited about playing on the rocks and in the river – all around the place where I took this picture.

Because of my experiences at this site, the painting is as much about a connection to the place – both new and old- as it is about the beauty and movement of the scene itself.

Enjoy,

Jason