Minnehaha Falls in Winter by Mary Pettis

"Minnehaha Falls is treasured by the residents of Minnesota not only for its beauty, but also for its historic significance. The New England poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, gave this Minneapolis waterfall national fame in the Song of Hiawatha. It is particularly stunning in winter, and I was eager to capture it in paint. I arrived on location with boots, mittens, easel and canvas, only to find that I was too late for the morning light I had anticipated...moreover, it was getting cloudy. Disappointed, I decided to at least draw in the basic shapes in preparation for my return the next day. Suddenly, the skies parted and a beautiful, raking light poured from left to right across the scene! So much more dramatic than what I had envisioned painting that day! I love when nature tells us how she wants to be portrayed!" – Mary Pettis