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| When the Clouds Went over the Mountain, Texas Hill Country View near Utopia Painting Scenes from Texas by Cindy Morawski
Last autumn, as I made a roadtrip stop near Utopia, Texas, I looked out over this landscape. The view came back to me in shades of blues, greens, and warm shades of gold. The sunshine was bright and beautiful, the sky~~ blue and dazzling, the clouds~~ puffy and on the move. The clouds seemed carefee, and they easily crossed a nearby ridge of the Texas Hill Country, San Antonio's version of local mountains. I photographed and sketched while there. I remember the wind picking up. I had to put on my jacket because the temperature had dipped. It was a November afternoon when I was painting plein air. Recently, I returned again to this Texas landscape in my studio. It was a place of peace and happiness for me. The sky and vista called my name.
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| Clouds in the Creek, Lost Maples Natural Area
I have a long list of interests in life, but one that not everyone would probably guess, would include stone or rock-skipping. Last fall, I joined my grandkids, Andrew and Ari, in a little competition on the waters of Lost Maples Natural Area or Park. We all searched for the perfect stones. Ones that were thin, lightweight, and oval-shaped. They had to be aerodynamic. I had some experience in this hobby afterall. I had started on the Little Beaver Creek in my childhood while growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania. After I lined up my rock-skippers on the shoreline among the soft grasses, I took aim and threw. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five . . . six skips!! Jumping up and down, I felt like I'd won an Olympic event. Whew! Laughing, I looked up to cheer on the children. Andrew, was that seven skips? Way to go! Ari, you're next. You go, girl! Let's skip across the clouds in the creek.
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| Rooted in Long Shadows, Garner State Park
I'm a big fan of our Texas State Parks. Last year, I kept going over the parks that I had visited. One Texas state park that I hadn't been to in awhile was Garner. In November of last year, Paul and I, along with our dogs, Rusty and Phineas, spent an afternoon at this glorious park. I brought along my camera and sketchbook and proceeded to snap, snap. With sketchbook in hand, I noted the blue and purple shadows in the late afternoon along the river. The leaves on the trees were slowly drifting down, reminding me that in another week, the bright shades of the reds, oranges, and yellows, would be gone for another year. We hiked around that afternoon through the long shadows of the tall trees. The dogs chased their ball, kicking up the scattered remains of windblown souvenirs. Paul and I sat on top of a cement picnic table taking in the landscape. I'd traveled to Garner mostly in the spring before. This felt like a new and fresh adventure. Recently, I wanted to capture this memory in my studio. So, I took up my pastels, and started. I examined my old photos, sketches, and notes. The scene leapt to life. I willingly returned to Garner.
Happy Discoveries!
~~Cindy~~
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