'The Potholes'

One day at the end of October this year I went

on a plein air adventure with fellow artist

Linny D. Vine.

It had been at least 10 years since either of us had

been to a beloved (now protected) part of the

Sooke River know as the Sooke Potholes.

This treasure of the south Island is a salmon

spawning river and they where present in the

water as we painted. This mystical geological

wonder lies in a deep canyon with sides eventually

reaching over a thousand feet in some places.

During the wet seasons the water roars and

tumbles through the contorted rock formations

that tend to make you weak in the knees as you

gaze down from your cliff side perch at the

turbulence 50 feet below. The spot we

painted however is at the lower and quieter end

of the run. During the heat of summer it is

a well used 'swimmin' hole'!

We started to paint during a sunny break on this

somewhat wet day but just as we got into it

the sun left us and because of the steep sides

of the canyon it became quite dull and dark.

It was a challenge to see the subtle values

to say the least.

The main rock formation in this piece towers

30 or more feet above the pool below, just to give

you an idea of scale.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oil on wood panel 
10 x 8.

Your thoughts and comments

greatly appreciated!

Jeffrey