It's a Struggle! This was painted from a photo of Mo Ranch taken last summer while visiting friends in Hunt,Texas. I have been working with the idea of areal views of the Hill Country but something about the spotty quality of the trees leading down to the river was just not working for me. (See reference below.) Then I remembered the advice a painting teacher gave me years ago..."Link your darks". By that she meant to not have spots of dark holes in the canvas, but let the shadows lead your eye to the focal point. I am still not sure I am satisfied with this painting but wanted you to know that trying and failing is just part of the process. It doesn't matter what the photo and plein air reference say. You are making a painting, not rendering a scene. What I am happy with, however, is the river. A loaded pallet knife gave the surface a slick quality, not unlike the surface of water. Little successes can often keep you going.