This is a series of photographs from Lake Daingerfield. I like the low quality of the images from my phone, as they are more like painting sketches rather than actual photographs. All images were brought into Photoshop where I increased the contrast and saturation. The colors are not that far off reality actually because my phone was a bit washed out and with the saturation of colors I’ve almost achieved colors that are closer to the way it really was.
This is the beginning of a new series of paintings, I’m planning on creating ten very small paintings that I can create and finish in a short time, what I am trying to accomplish is the spontaneity of a fast painting but also that feeling of the dark evening, the silent moments as the sun descends and throws
shadows across the water.
I am amazed with the difference a short amount of time can make in relation to color and contrast. In the early hours just before sunset you have this pale light that keeps a bright sheen on the water, the blues of the sky are reflected but most of the color is burned out by the intensity of the last bit of afternoon sun. The contrast of the light and dark in the water makes the appearance of glittering diamonds in the edge of the water. High contrasting colors and values appear almost more like shapes and elements in an abstract painting.
As the angle of the sun changes the colors warm and the sky is infused with an intense blue, the blue in the water and the greens and golds of the depths of crystal clear water dance and reflect in multiple mirrors that throw light like halos on each movement of the water surface. To me, this is where the lake is its most peaceful, it’s the final breath of the day and the movements in the sounds in the forest start to stir as the evening shift take over, you can hear the sounds of owls from distant hollows and coyotes start gathering for the evening run.
The colors continue to darken, there is a flame that grows in the silhouette of the forest and its reflection in the lake is like the final burning embers of a campfire at the end of a night of a campfire, minus the burning eyes and aromatic smell of burnt wood. Contrasts are heightened as the final bit of light fades from the deep forest, and a star filled sky starts from a deep cerulean blue to an intense Prussian blue with stars that shimmer and appear and disappear as you stare into the depths of infinity.
Kayaking in a place like this makes one feel like you are the only one for miles. You turn to the forest and enjoy that stillness that cannot be duplicated unless you get out away from the city and stop for a moment to listen to nature at its best.
This is why I especially love kayaking on Lake Daingerfield and those final hours are my favorite hours, even though the cold wind and the icy extremities bring on discomfort, the peace you feel and the deep solitude is something that can only be experienced and barely described. These photos I hope capture that feeling, please let me know if you got any memories of camping with family or enjoying those last few hours of a sunset, would love to read your stories. Thanks for reading and get out and explore.
