Greetings!

Here in Minnesota, the early flowers are blooming and tree buds are swelling. Spring is in the air, and that means outdoor art festival season is just weeks away! This year's art fair schedule is gearing up to be very similar to last year's, with a couple of differences. Most notably, I will be returning this year to the Old Capitol Art Fair in Springfield, Illinois, which is less than a month away. Here's the full schedule through the end of August (sans July 1, which is pending):

• May 20-21 - Old Capitol Art Fair - Springfield, IL
• June 2-4 - Edina Art Fair - 50th & France, Edina, MN
• June 10-11 - Art on the Lake - Excelsior Commons on Lake Minnetonka, Excelsior, MN
• June 22 - Lemonade Concert & Art Fair - Campus of St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN
• June 24-25 - Park Point Art Fair - End of Park Point, Duluth, MN
• July 1 - TBD
• July 8-9 - Grand Marais Arts Festival - Grand Marais, MN
• July 13-15 - Downtown Fargo Street Fair - Fargo, ND
• July 29-30 - Alexandria Art in the Park - Alexandria City Park, Alexandria, MN
• August 4-6 - Uptown Art Fair - Hennepin Avenue and The Mall, Minneapolis, MN
• August 12 - Northwoods Art Festival - Hackensack, MN

Panther Creek Falls – Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington, USA

This is possibly one of most beautiful waterfalls I have had the chance to experience and photograph! Its "fan" shape and setting deep within a lush, mossy gorge make this falls truly spectacular and refreshing! There is a viewing platform that overlooks the falls from above, but reaching this vantage point at the base of the falls required scrambling down a steep slope.

This image is not "quite" finished yet (I'm still tweaking a few details), but I anticipate it will be available when art fair season begins!

Now that we have some semblance of real winter here in Minnesota (not to mention it's March already!), I suppose it's appropriate to start thinking about spring!

We have had a very dry last half of 2011, so all of the new snow will be a boon to the rivers and those who enjoy viewing the rushing spring waterfalls.

These photographs were made last year from the Wisconsin side of Lake Superior. The falls, known as Morgan Falls, is located about 17 miles south of Ashland in the remote Chequamegon National Forest.

I found the form of this falls to be quite distinct. It is very narrow and cascades down what seems like a hiking trail switchback. The creek then curves sharply and tumbles down another cascade to a pool below.

Gooseberry Falls State Park is a favorite among North Shore travelers and is one of Minnesota's most visited state parks. A unique aspect of this park, besides the five waterfalls, is the exposed roots of the many cedars that line the river. These twisted and gnarled roots attach themselves to the exposed rock bed in seemingly impossible ways, providing support and nutrients for the trees. This quartet of cedars leading to the Middle Falls has, no doubt, stood watch over these falls for many decades. Their uniformity and strength make them almost seem like the columns in a cathedral crafted by Mother Nature.

Another interesting feature is what looks like the face of a bearded man on the facing root of the nearest cedar. Can you see it?