Tucked Up Somewhere in the WOods on a Hill

Tucked Up Somewhere in the Woods

​"Tucked Up Somewhere in the Woods on a Hill" - acrylic on deep cradled aquabord, 16" x 20" x 2"  Ready to hang.  Available here and at Artfinder.


We're all falling and we need a place to hide
A safe place somewhere in the woods we can start the fire
All we know is what would be our home
We will stay 'til the break of dawn

The cold night takes us to a place to escape the chill
Tucked up somewhere in the woods on a hill
Wake up feeling the cold in between our toes
Is there a way back? Nobody knows

And we leave it all behind
Can't you see we need some time?

from the song "The Woods" -  by Hollow Coves

And so, dear reader, we are back in the forest once more.

I was standing with my partner on the ridge line of an unnamed peak deep in the Columbia River Gorge; wind lashing our faces, sleet pelting our many layers of rain-soaked clothing, shivering.  And all I could think of was how very beautiful it was up there in the solitude and weather with layers of burned trees for miles. The mist kept rolling over us, swirling and obscuring.  And still my thought was - oh, how exquisite.  The steep incline made my legs cry out for mercy and my breath nearly impossible.  And yet I knew I would climb it again to see this majesty - this unrelenting wild.

So, if one day you can't find me,  I will be in the forest - tucked up somewhere in the woods on a hill.

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About the art: using my favorite surface, aquabord, on a deep cradle and beginning with a loose charcoal sketch.  Using paint to spread the charcoal, then focusing on layers of texture and color, preserving the verticality while resisting the urge to chase overt realism.  Fingers, brushes, rubber wedge, deli paper and a wood stick for small, organic lines.