O-Leno pines

I was looking through my photos this past March (2010) and I found this wonderful place. When I had hiked there the weather was damp and chill and... more

by Scott McLeod

Buy the Original Painting

Price

$1,400

Dimensions

24.000 x 18.000 x 2.000 inches

Title

O-Leno pines

Artist

Scott McLeod

Medium

Painting - Acrylic On Canvas

Description

I was looking through my photos this past March (2010) and I found this wonderful place. When I had hiked there the weather was damp and chill and the air was so crisp that every noise carried through the woods. Our crunching feet were a constant annoyance as we like to see deer and foxes if possible. The contrast of colors in this area of Sweetwater prairie was really nice. These are some of the most common ecosystems in Florida, which may be why I had a hard time painting this one. I love the smells and sounds and abundant life that engulfs me when I find these hidden glades. After wading through cabbage palms and brambles for about an hour while hiking off trail in Ocala we came across this gem. The colors were wonderful and with just a few twisted turkey oaks to add texture I took several photos.
But I rarely paint pine forests. These vertical landscapes always seemed so boring and stale. So it was quite a surprise to me when I found myself inspired during this painting. Not inspired by the landscape but by the fact that I was stumped. I had just run out of steam, I had lost my emotion for this place. So after writing in my journal and on one of the blogs about this issue, I returned to Sweetwater Prairie. That was all it took to renew my wanderlust and my inspiration. Crunching needles, oak leaves and swishing palm fronds opened my senses to how lucky we are to have so many places like this.

Uploaded

August 15th, 2013