New River by Kristina Lake
Painting en plein air at Aunt Mabel’s cabin, Independence Virginia
Reading Robinson Crusoe aloud while Eric paints
It’s been over a month since we arrived back on the east coast. We were itching to get back to plein air painting, so we decided to take “The Scout”—that’s what we call our little travel trailer—up to Virginia and park her on a private lot right next to a river. From the moment we arrived Eric knew exactly what he wanted to paint. This tree with its branches reaching across the water was a juxtaposition of gentle power.
A few days later we drove up to Uncle Don and Aunt Mabel’s log cabin on the mountain. I think the entire Wilson family has good memories of the place. Now we have our own good memories. Eric set up his easel, and while he painted, I read to him from the classic “Robinson Crusoe.” We bought this edition when we visited Raul and Natasha in Palm Springs. We found it in a cute little antique store where we also found a plastic “Pogo” figurine. This edition is illustrated and has a foreword by N. C. Wyeth. The premise is that as a young, foolhardy man, Robinson Crusoe, leaves home in search of adventure and ends up on a deserted island. After complaining about his miserable life, he eventually starts reading the Bible, and then the story becomes about his spiritual journey.
On our second day painting in this beautiful location, we noticed a cicada crawling up Eric’s pants leg. We put him up on the picnic table, where he settled on the edge of a plank and started to molt. It took hours, but we watched him slowly cast off his outer shell, expand his wings, and then take flight. What did this cicada have to teach us? Has he been lying underground for a year? 13 years? 17 years? And now he emerges and puts on an amazing display. He has wings where there were none before. Talk about change! And yet he accepts this change with a beautiful grace and goes about his purpose in life.
New River morning
16” by 20”
Oil on canvas
Aunt Mabel’s Cabin
20” by 20”
Oil on canvas