What Lies Beneath

I painted "What Lies Beneath" in Mitoska Park, White Bear Lake, MN as part of the Into Nature Plein Air Exhibition. White Bear Lake has a lovely shoreline with shallow undisturbed water where lily pads grow and I would imagine fish and frogs like to hang out. The fisherman is thinking this too and is hoping to catch "What Lies Beneath".

The title is also a play on words to remind me of what happened that day. Underneath this painting is an underpainting that I had started at a different location. I had found a lovely little pond with water lilies at the end of a dead end road. I stopped by all of the neighbors to find out who owned the pond so I could get permission. After the third try, I finally got permission. I was mostly through the underpainting when an angry neighbor (who wasn't home when I stopped to ask permission) came by shouting and cursing at me! I knew from the third neighbor that this person didn't even own the pond, but he was quite upset at my presence. When he started doing target practice nearby with his gun and my hands couldn't hold the brush steady because they were shaking so badly, I decided to pack up and leave. Best decision! After some time in the Word and prayer, I was able to pull myself back together and paint this painting, "What Lies Beneath."