There is nothing like a pool of water in the middle of the desert. Bizarre: yes, peaceful: incredibly so.

This was painted at the nearby Oasis State Park. Many people are attracted to the fishing hole here. On a busy day families are lined up along the pink stones dropping their lines in for catfish and guzzling sodas. The morning I set up my paints at a shady picnic table the only other people around were a father and daughter fishing quietly from camping chairs.

I’ll definitely be revisiting this gorgeous place to paint more… if only it was a swimming hole!