Calm Waters

by Steve Henderson

Title

Calm Waters

Artist

Steve Henderson

Medium

Painting - Oil On Panel

Description

There is little that disturbs this lake, breaks through its clean surface, ruffles the waters.

Oh, out in the middle a fish snaps at an insect on the surface, creating ripples. A slight breeze wafts gently from one side to the next, inspiring wavelets to lap against the shore. When it rains, obviously the drops puncture the mirrored calmness, and for awhile the lake seems moody. But that’s only because the entire landscape, during a storm, is moody.

On a clear sunny day, however, with a blue sky overhead, the lake reflects that blue, shimmering under the light, while turning deep teal in the still, silent shadows.

Calm Waters, the oil painting, invites the viewer to stand on the shore of the Ice Lake, look out across its surface to the mountains that so protectively encircle it, and let your mind and heart be as still as the surface of the water. It’s very remote up here, high in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon, USA, and if you insisted upon making the nine-mile hike with your cell phone in pocket or backpack, it won’t do much good, since there are no nearby cell towers to ensure that you get service.

You’ll have to leave the funny cat videos for another time, another place. Same with the “news.” Social media updates. Texts from the office. (Do you really want those?)

But consider what you get in exchange: silence, peace, beauty, calmness, time alone to deeply think, an isolated shore with boulders against which you can sit, closing your eyes and lifting your face toward the sky as you feel the warmth of the sun completely bathe you.

No dings, no rings, no buzzing other than insects. And no hurry to be off somewhere else, worried about being busy, efficient, and stressed.

Stay awhile.

Uploaded

May 7th, 2025

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