Dawn Over Blackwater Finalist

"Dawn Over Blackwater" is a landscape painting I created to honor the quiet, in-between moment where night gives way to day. Set at first light, the scene features a calm pothole framed by tall, sparsely needled loblolly pines in the foreground, their reflections gently shifting across still water. In the distance, a thicker stand rises in silhouette, their dark forms cutting sharply against the soft gradient of the Eastern Shore sky. The colors are subtle—muted blues, warm earth tones, and pale light—capturing that fleeting hush of dawn.

Closer in, tall grasses sway and a small group of mallards loafs quietly on the water, adding just a whisper of life and movement to the stillness.

This piece was inspired by an early morning at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, a place that stays with you long after you’ve left. Using acrylics, I focused on layering color and texture to reflect the softness of the light and the harmony of the landscape. Dawn Over Blackwater is more than a scene—it’s a moment of calm for anyone who’s ever watched the world wake up from the edge of a marsh.