Wildfire Air Over the Milwaukee River

During the summer of 2023, Wisconsin experienced a very hazy summer with vivid sunsets resulting from the smoke and pollution generated by the Canadian wildfires. On June 28th, I went for a walk along the Interurban trail in Grafton near our home with my wife and our dog. When we reached the Milwaukee River crossing near Bratt Woods I was in awe of the atmospheric effects the smoke created over the river and took a few reference photos on my phone. I held onto these photos for the chance I may opt to work from them on a studio painting. This past April I rediscovered this reference photo and spent a few sessions creating an oil painting as a way to better understand the subtleties of color temperature in a view with so much atmospheric variety. I was interested in cultivating a rhythmic and expressive language while looking at a static reference. What I enjoyed most while making the painting was navigating ways to convey the textures and sensations of the landscape: the sheen of the water, the density of the grass and trees, and the glow of the evening sky.

While I was painting, it was impossible not to consider the relationships between our local ecosystem and the effects of natural disasters happening globally which can often seem worlds away or invisible. The unique atmospheric changes to the local colors in this environment are a visual artifact of the air that surrounded us on our walk that night. I hope the painting communicates the depth of the river, the beautiful significance of fresh water, and the eerie feeling I felt looking out at this view in 2023.

The painting is made on a handmade oil primed linen panel and framed in a custom handmade black frame.