The morning started out cold and crisp in the low teens with about 5 inches of snow. Nevertheless some courageous members came out for the traditional January Fletchers Boat House paintout. It began as an interesting day. (Remember the Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times") I arrived late because the windshield washer fluid in my car froze. As I came down route seven towards Leesburg my windshield was repeatedly covered by the salt and brine they were generously applying to the road. I was blinded and had to stop several times and use some of the pure roadside snow to clean it off. Frustrated and realizing I couldn't continue like that, I stopped in Leesburg in the hope of thawing it out. It began flowing just as I was considering returning home. I continued on.

By the time I arrived at Fletchers Bruce Handford was just about finished with his first ice painting. As you know Bruce usually paints in watercolors. Well on this bright and beautiful day his water was instantly turning into ice, giving him wonderful chrystalized structures that left a distinct texture on the surface of his painting. Bruce seemed so excited about them that I think he might rent a frozen meat locker to get such exciting effects all the time. Selling ice paintings in Washington in the heat of July might be the wave of the future.

Daniel Wise was also busy painting. He had somehow forgotten to bring the easel he wanted to use. Instead, he was using a hand box that he carries in his car in case of just such an emergency. He did two 6x8 oil paintings in this way. At the critique his left arm was still shaking. Just try to hold your arm up in the air for a couple of hours and then think of adding some extra weight to it. We can all sympathize with him and give him the credit he deserves for persevering.

I arrived about the same time as our guest Steve Moen. We walked around, harassed the artists already painting, then chose our scene and set up. Steve and I did 16x20's. Andre Kushnir didn't join us at the river, instead he did a wonderful painting looking down the canal at some great ice patterns. After the critique he said he was going to stay and do another painting or two. He just didn't want to waste such a beautiful day.

And it turned into a really beautiful day. The sun was out, there was little wind, and the temperature rose to about 30 by critique time. It could have been unpleasant if it were not for that wonderful, warming sun, and the lack of wind, of course. We all had a fantastic time and felt sad for those who were absent.

Present at the paintout were members Ed Cooper, Bruce Handford, Andre Kushnir, and Daniel Wise along with guest Steve Moen.