#2622 "Sap Flowing at the Twin Tap"

#2622 "Sap Flowing at the Twin Tap"
14x11 inches oil

The sun was mainly out between the streets of stratocumulus in the February sky. 

I thought that if I went into the forest on the lee side of the ridge, that the cold northwesterly winds would not find me. Aside from the wind, the plein air conditions were perfect. The wind did locate me and my right, brush hand could really feel it. I must admit that the wind chill hurried me along but perhaps that is a strength rather than a concern. I did not fiddle with the details. 

I decided to revisit #2613 "Singleton Maple Twin Taps" and attempt a similar subject matter in plein air. The sap was just starting to flow. The first part of the harvest is always the sweetest. Freezing nights and warm but not too warm sunny days really gets the pressure on the sap to get it flowing. We harvested about 15 gallons of sap that day. 

The squawks of the crows and ravens accompanied the shrieks of our resident red-shouldered hawk. The sound track of spring was starting to play a bit louder in the Singleton Sanctuary. 

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