Outdoor Adventure

Stories of adventure through the eyes of the young and naive

A Vermont Spring

Art, hiking, Outdoor Adventure, watercolor

Violets and Trout Lilies bloomed for well over a week at home on the New York / New Jersey stateline, but the narrative in Wilmington, Vermont was different. We arrived on a windy night. A thin blanket of snow swirled over the New England town. By morning, the landscape was draped in fluffy white snow. Congrats – we traveled back into winter!

In the next 24 hours, the sun broke through the gray thickness above and the snow soon disappeared. Our ambitious gang of goldfish snack inhalers (and their parents, the coffee guzzlers) could not stay put for long. We set off on an adventure to summit Haystack Mountain!

The Journey Begins

The missus and I bundled ourselves and the little imps as if we were headed to the arctic. With bladders bursting and fingers already numb, we were ready for the trail! We carried our luggage (the kids) on our backs and shoulders through mud and rocks up 1,000 vertical feet. It was not long before we found the snow again. With sun blaring, snow became slush and feet became pruney.

A Vermont Spring – Watercolor 20”x14”

We pressed on and the giant slushy stairmaster with complaining children soundtrack finally gave way to a tremendous vista at the top of old Haystack. Glory was ours! We had made it (all of us)! And then…we realized it was time to climb back down…oh shit.

Haystack Summit

Woodland Thicket with Bloodroot – Watercolor Sketch

Art, native plants, Outdoor Adventure, watercolor

Around the same time last year in late March / early April we went for a walk in a woodland near the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. We were on the lookout for spring ephemeral wildflowers, as this is their time of year to shine, and then shortly after, bid us Adieu until next spring. One of my favorite spring ephemerals is Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). A single leaf and flower emerge from under the leaf litter. The leaf, if injured, bleeds a red-orange juice, hence the name (bloodroot).

Woodland Thicket Watercolor Sketch

We came upon an old tree, upon which beautiful green moss sprawled. The forest floor had been blanketed with bloodroot flowers, but they were just coming up and the flowers were half closed. As we returned to this same spot on our way back, the flowers were on full display. It was the largest population of bloodroot I’ve ever seen and what a show!

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) Watercolor Painting

Art, native plants, Outdoor Adventure, watercolor

Not long ago, I met Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) growing on a dry rocky slope in Harriman State Park on the NY/NJ boarder, near Pine Meadow Lake. I had already been familiar with Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) and Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), but Winged Sumac was new to me. Our acquaintance was in the fall season. The plant’s foliage had been ablaze with various shades of red, and I thought it would make a great painting.

Starting out
Stage 1.5
Winged Sumac -watercolor 14”x 20”

A Walk on the Liberty Loop

Art, Outdoor Adventure, watercolor
Liberty Loop – Watercolor 14”x20”

What’s in the painting?

Not far from our house, is the Liberty Loop path! Located in Pine Island, NY, it is our go-to place for a walk. It is also part of the Appalachian Trail, but completely flat terrain. A hit with walkers (zombies included), this area is also popular among bird watchers and bird photographers, as it is a wildlife refuge with abundant waterfowl habitat. I hope to one day see the Northern Pintail Duck, which can be found here.

Rue-anemone Woodland Wild Flower Watercolor Painting

Art, native plants, Outdoor Adventure, watercolor

Rue-anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) is a classic spring blooming herbaceous perennial, which is native to the woodlands of eastern North America. In early spring, this delicate looking plant pops up in beautiful patches, as it pokes through decaying leaves from season’s past. It is hard not to notice this gem as one walks in the woods. It later occurred to me that Rue-anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) is not the only early spring plant that looks the way it does.

In fact, at this point, I believe that the photo I used to paint this plant is actually False Rue Anemone (Isopyrum biternatum) because it tends have white flowers, unlike the typically pinkish sepals of Rue-anemone. Both species are true spring ephemerals as they fade away in the summer. Either way, the delicate beauty of this plant (and it’s lookalike) made its way into my day dreams of early spring wildflowers, during what has been, a cold and icy winter so far. But, I am not complaining. I like it when winter feels like winter in eastern North America.

Here are some photos of the painting process. I used masking fluid to save the whites of the flowers, while I paint over everything else.

This painting is available on my Etsy shop