This painting was created as a class demonstration. The exercise was for everyone, including me, to paint from the same reference photo. I took the photo in Maine at my father's lake house, so the scene has lots of meaning for me. Not everyone could relate to the picture, a bit of a surprise.  I thought that rocks, water, light and shadows would be something everyone could relate to.  Maybe it is my illustration background that got me used to finding a way to relate to anything I was required to paint and to just find a way into it. 

Nevertheless, the students all felt this challenging picture taught them a lot. Sometimes we have to be pushed out of our comfort zone in order to learn.