Painting en plein air at Castelwood State Park in Ballwin, MO

SUMMARY OF PLACE:: It was a unusually warm day in early January. High, thin clouds stretched across most of the sky. Light was scarce, and shadows very faint. Being the middle of winter in Missouri, the deciduous trees were barren. This is a very typical Missouri creek. Gravel extends across its full width (60-80 feet). Very little vegetation sprouts and survives in the creek bed as the gravel is typically 2 to 6 feet deep. On the outside edge of the creek, deep pools form sporadically. The pools form (wash out) in the Spring during high water conditions. During the dry season, these pools are the only sign of water in the creek. Missouri creek gravel is quite light-colored.
INSPIRATION:: The light-colored creek bed caught my attention. The light form meandering back and forth in the valley was quite interesting.