summer light seen from front steps (watercolor painting)

Last week, a forecast of afternoon thunderstorms led me to abandon plans for a day of lakeshore painting.
But the light and shadow of a summer afternoon, seen shimmering right from my front steps, captured my attention. I made two sketches, and then realized I wanted to paint what I saw. So I did.
The thunderstorms never arrived, at home or at the lake.  But as it turned out, I was happy to be reminded that sometimes the front yard is exactly far enough to go.
 -KMB

HOUSES IN SUMMER, MONTPELIER, VERMONT

Sketch  and painting by Kevin Macneil Brown, graphite and watercolor on paper,  2015.

River Morning

           River Morning, July

             Painting by Kevin Macneil Brown, watercolor and graphite on paper, 2015.

Viridian of river, a current

strong enough to float blue slate

beneath the three mile bridge--

the bridge (sap green) that Hopper painted

in watercolor circa 1934.

Sun-splash on gravel bar

sandpiper flashing, silver

and buff in morning light

that song

a floating bell

the floating stone

is gone now

skimmed or sunken, like

space or time or memory.

Black locust, yellow birch, butternut

thicket to shade the curving

shoreline,

dark boughs holding, then releasing,

the veery’s sweet and spiraling

summer river song.

- Kevin Macneil Brown