April Pond

16 x 20 in pastel on paper (24 x 28 in framed)

Some pieces feel like they carry the temperature of a day, and April Pond is one of those for me. My dad has always had a way of catching early spring light — that moment when the trees are just beginning to wake up and everything holds a kind of soft brightness.

In this painting, the pale blossoms, cool shadows, and warm patches of new grass come together in a way that feels both calm and quietly electric. It’s the kind of scene he’s returned to throughout his life: places that aren’t dramatic or staged, just honestly observed and full of life if you know how to look.

I’ve always loved the way he lets pastel stay loose around the edges while still giving the landscape enough structure to feel familiar. Even through the frame, you feel that sense of stepping into a day that’s just starting to warm.