Morning Rays

Morning Rays was inspired by a clearing that I walked by each day while camped on private land in rural west Georgia. The area had once been a large pasture, but has grown up over the last 3 decades. This is one spot in particular where the tree line breaks, to reveal a narrow entry into a small clearing. The morning sun would bear down on this spot, causing the dried sage grasses to glow a brilliant gold. I enhanced the contrasting background shapes with muted, cool tones to enliven the grass, and used masking fluid to delicately preserve the the luminous grasses and surrounding leaves, which carried rich lights against the dark backdrop of distant trees.