I had no idea that Belle Fourche represents that geographical center of the United States. Last weekend, I drove there for a cousin’s wedding. I packed my plein air gear in the hopes that I would find some time and inspiration to paint. I drove through the rolling hills of Wyoming, the Black Hills of South Dakota and the golden fields of sweet clover were a lovely surprise when I arrived.
And then it rained. It hailed. The wind blew. The morning skies were cloudy, with bits of sun mixed in here and there. I thought my supplies would sit in the car, but I woke up early and gave it a go.
There’s a large reservoir just outside of Belle Fourche, SD and as soon as I saw the river, I stopped to paint. I slapped mosquitoes, watch men catch fish nearby, and as soon as I finished for the morning, the skies cleared and the water calmed.
I got some good reference photos for future paintings and went back a second day to see if I could capture the golden fields and rain in the distance.
What do you think?