17 Fishing at Secret Pond

17 "Fishing at Secret Pond" 8x8 oil painting on board, copyright Laura Gable

My friend and former student, Delia, showed me a lovely little pond tucked behind a row of trees and brush out at Hood Park in Burbank, WA a few short miles from home. She lives nearby and in her wanderings found this lovely spot, thus calling it Delia's Secret Pond. I'm not sure how truly secret it is however, as all manner of fishermen and hikers are usually in the vicinity when I've gone there. It was quite nice to paint there with her one day a few years back. We found a shady spot near a young tree and were able to capture some of the beauty of the pond reflections. This painting, however, was a study done in the studio based on the photographs I'd taken that day. I painted it rather quickly in an effort to capture some of the spontaneity that occurs when painting in the field. The fisherman's shirt color was more appealing in red. With that small change, he became more visible and makes a nice focal point.