Working Plein Aire, a group of us were on site with my mentor, Professor Chang Li, a visiting artist from Beijing, China. We were working quickly as the October sky was growing dark. A storm approached from the west along with gusts of wind that forced us to grab our French easels occasionally or lose our canvasses. I loved the lavender tones of the sky reflected in the water. As the sky grew dark and our light fled, the trunks of oaks became a purplish burgundy and the color of leaves still on some trees faded to the palest yellow. It was a perfect, if fleeting moment. The painting is one of my favorites.