Shadow dancing

I hadn't painted out doors since last summer. I looked around the studio to see what I would need to take. By the time I finished, you would think I was going camping. There was so much; water for painting and iced tea for drinking. I needed paper, pencils, paint, tissues...

As I opened the gate to my yard, I scanned for the right spot: shady, level, not too close to the compost pile. I opened my chair and table. I tested the table for stability. One leg sank into the mud. It took a few tries to find my spot. Finally situated, blank paper before me, I was ready to immortalize the lilac tree. My hand reached out, but came back empty. I searched once more half-heartedly, but knew I'd forgotten to bring brushes.

Then I noticed a little piece of a sponge in my pencil box. I submerged it in water and squeezed it out on the grass. I dipped the edge in paint and looked at my paper to see where I would begin.  Branches of a huge pine tree were dancing across my page. I squinted, but was unable to see beyond the shadows, so I spent some time trying to catch them. Click on the pic to enlarge.