My Art Studio has Nature at its Door

The view from my art studio is of a pond and forest. Our pond covers about half an acre and is big enough to have a dock and a rowboat; it's like a miniature lake. It's spring fed and home to catfish, small-mouth bass, an annually visiting turtle and countless frogs and dragonflies.

The pond used to be surrounded by trees (birch, cedar, pine, hemlock and willow) making it almost invisible to visitors. About ten years ago, we cleared the trees on one side of the pond which made it possible to have a space for an organic veggie garden, plus a sandy cove beside the pond. It's my favorite spot to sit and relax and soak in nature. Even when I'm busy painting in my studio which overlooks the pond, just seeing it through a window is calming.

I don't or haven't painted landscapes but I think my nature setting affects how and what I paint