Happy Fourth of July!! I wish you all a wonderful day of celebration as we remember the bravery of our forefathers as they fought for this beautiful, democratic country in which we live!

I’ll keep this relatively short, as I am headed to a bbq (unique..I know!). Today’s challenge didn’t turn out quite as I had hoped. As I’m sure many of you are aware, the west is on fire. Literally. So, due to all of the smoke that is currently polluting Cheyenne, I was unable to go for my walking adventure this morning. I love exploring the natural world…but not at the expense of my respiratory health!

That being said, today’s resulting painting was a reaction to my window observations–as well as the smoke smells that inevitably enter the house.

For tomorrow’s challenge, we will explore one of my favorite natural subjects: the leaf. Select a leaf with an…