Prussian Blue, Melancholy, Burnt Sienna

In the hour before sunset I drove by a field where about a dozen crows were spread out across the grass. There was no spare time: a trunkful of groceries and a date with a friend in a few minutes; but even so, I parked and quickly walked to where crows held court. And as soon as I got my camera out, hundreds more crows came swerving across the sky, swirling in black ribbons above me -- and then were gone in an echo of ruckled ca-caws.

With the marvels of technology at hand, I can take a photo and make it any color I desire, make it appeal to whatever combination of hues are currently fueling inspiration. At work this week I've been juxtaposing a deep Prussian-blue/turquoise with a burnt-Sienna/brown-pink -- not unlike the tones in the header photo. Paint colors are incredibly powerful visual stimuli. Some days there is nothing can settle my addled self save for a good sit-down with a palette of oils. A photograph and a computer can serve the same purpose.

In both the header photo and the photo above, the landscape belongs to me. The only truth lies in what one's eyes are able to see.

I hear someone ask: what did it really look like?

I tell him: it looked like this.