River Running Deep

Painting by Tom Wheeler, 42"x42", oil on canvas. 

The painting is a scene from the East Fork of the Lewis river, captured in the fall, when the water is high. I noticed this spot earlier this year, and it seemed to call to me.  I knew it needed to be painted, and I felt it should be a large painting to really capture more of the feeling and sense of the details. The painting is really about the intriguing deep areas, and I hope to help the viewer feel like they are there, standing on the shore or even in the water. I hope they feel the clarity of the water, as they see the rocks underneath.

I don’t know if it has deeper meaning than that, perhaps it will for some people.  For me, there’s a reverence for nature, for God, a respect for the power and immensity of the amount of water moving past, and a curiosity about what might be in there. There’s also a sense of motion, and rhythm.

The painting is now owned by the Battle Ground Public Library.  It will be on display soon!