Lake One by Melissa Anne Smith

• 25.5” x 13.5” approximately
• Acrylic and oil on canvas

As you stand on the shores of Lake Michigan on a summer day on the west coast of upper lower (that’s how we say not the UP) Michigan the colors are hard to believe. The shoreline water is in shades of blue green and as the water deepens so does the color. In the distance is a dark navy. The horizon seems to reach the end of the world. The sky is azure blue and often there are white cloud sculptures in the sky. The waves lap the shores, the cool, clean water calls. It is hard to stand there for only a moment. I feel as if I stood there forever it would not be enough time to absorb the intense beauty there. Everything is perfection. The sun warms your skin and all hues are rendered rich. If I close my eyes and think about how these moments make me feel, it is hard to articulate. My breathing is deeper. I feel the weariness of life wash away, I feel stronger in the fresh water. I feel so alive. This piece seeks to capture a tiny glimpse of those moments, as do many of my lakeshore paintings.