Where Swallows Dance

This is one of my favorite painting spots on the St. Joseph River in SW Michigan. During the summer I come here quite a bit to paint, and the river bend here seems to be an ideal hangout spot for swallows who dart and flit across the river surface. I painted this scene in the early spring, with just a hint of green peeking through in the grasses, and the buds on the trees creating a red-brown haze across the wooded riverside. For me, these few hints of the coming summer on a bright sunshiny day remind me of warm summer breezes and swallows dancing across the water.