Shade of Turquoise are ever so much more colorful than shades of grey. Shades of Turquoise, original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

The story of the painting, Shades of Turquoise, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve:

It was not a dark and stormy night, but rather a brisk October afternoon in Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains when Steve, son Jordan, and two friends made the nine mile hike from Wallowa Lake to Ice Lake.

At 7.500 feet, Ice Lake is generally a June-October venue, because the rest of the time, the trail disappears in the snow. While the men were hiking, they were passed by a local visitor, who runs — literally runs — up the trail and back once a week, to stay in shape.

“Up by the lake, in the sun, it was warm, almost balmy, but you’re never fooled by that,” Steve says. “Once that sun goes down or behind a cloud, you’re reminded of the difference that altitude makes in the temperature.

And no matter how warm it gets in the sun, Steve was not tempted, like Jordan and his friend, to jump in the water and swim

“It wasn’t a very long swim,” Steve remembers.

On the opposite end of the color spectrum, rich oranges and siennas draw the viewer into the moment and the emotion. Evening Waltz, original oil painting by Steve Henderson.

The main thing Steve remembers about Ice Lake, and has put into this painting, is the sense of peace, quiet, solitude and meditation that he experienced in the area. A short way from the lake Steve found a field of granite stones, literally tumbling from the mountainside, which he later painted into a work called Stonework, sold at the 2013  National Western Art Show in Ellensburg, WA.

“There is a sense of sacredness about this place,” Steve says. “It’s not a place where you shout, or play a radio. Rather, you contemplate the light on the water, listen to the silence — and you can listen to silence — and feel the simultaneous warmth of the sunlight and cool of the breeze on your skin.”

In today’s world where hectic reigns, it is important to find, and experience, these places of peace, and if you cannot physically find yourself in one, you can “go” there via a work of fine art, like Shades of Turquoise.

Shades of Turquoise is an original oil painting available for purchase at Steve Henderson Fine Art. Like all of Steve’s paintings, it celebrates life, beauty, joy, hope, and peace. Those five elements are free, yet priceless.

Very few people can paint, and paint well, but we can all learn to write with competency and clarity. Grammar Despair is a friendly, user-friendly resource that will bring your writing up to speed.

Please contact Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt.com for information on  Shades of Turquoise or any of Steve Henderson’s original and licensed fine art paintings.

Read more at Start Your Week with Steve.

Check out Steve’s artwork at Steve Henderson Fine Art. Original paintings — licensed open edition prints — Santa and Holiday. Steve’s licensed work is available at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, Amazon.com, Light in the Box, and Framed Canvas Art

If you are a manufacturer who would like to use Steve’s artwork on your products, please contact his agents, Matt Appelman (matt.appelman@artlicensing.com). You can see Steve’s Art Licensing page here.

Check out, also, Steve and Carolyn’s products at Amazon.com:

Live Happily on Less: 52 Ways to Renovate Your Life and Lifestyle (paperback and digital book)

Grammar Despair: Quick, simple solutions to problems like, “Do I say Him and Me or He and I?” (paperback and digital book)

Step by Step Watercolor Success (digital DVD workshop designed for beginning to intermediate watercolor students and artists)