12x16 inches, oil on canvas.
Yellowstone was a pure joy to heart. Every day was a challenge. Some emotions are too difficult to address and so some failures when painting the light can be expected. The reflection of the sun on the water was an impression I could not ignore.  I had to try.
There are three angles from which to view natural light. If you stand with your back to the light the entire scene is illuminated with minimal shadows. If you view the scene from the side then it is half in light and half in shadow.  If you face the sun then the subject is mostly in shadow. In this study I was looking directly into the sun. The glare of the sun contrasts with the shadows.
I was painting early in the morning. I watched as the buffalo left and wandered down the mountain. I set up my easel in the depression in the grass where one of them had slept. Something gave me the courage to try to paint the spirit of the morning light and its reflection. If it was good enough for the buffalo...