Blue, red, and tan kayaks with yellow paddles rest on a sandy riverbank beside clear green water bordered by dense trees under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Before the River

MG-0252

2020-09-07

About this piece

Brightly colored kayaks rest at the edge of clear shallows, their hulls arranged between sunlit sand and a densely wooded river. Yellow paddles punctuate the foreground, while overhanging branches cast broken shadows across the bank.

The story

I framed the kayaks where the shade opened onto the water, drawn first to the blue hull and the yellow paddles laid across it. Beyond their bright colors, the river offered a quieter palette: green reflections, pale shallows, and the dark edge of trees. I wanted to hold that interval at the bank, with everything ready for movement and nothing yet disturbing the small ripples along the sand.

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