On August 23rd I visited Lake Alvin. Kicking off the series of paintings that will be inspired by all of the State Parks in South Dakota. I took many photos, did some sketching, hiking and wrote down some of my thoughts about this quiet park that lies just East of Harrisburg.

The sounds of fish and a gentle breeze over the water were nearly the only sounds that day. The fishermen being quiet to not scare off their potential trophies.

Here is my trail at Lake Alvin. I took a few little deer paths that required some backtracking and then the .5 mile loop on the west end of the park that is an easy walk.

Lastly, I'll give you a little look into my sketchbook and a couple of the little watercolor sketches done from the views at Lake Alvin. These are my two favorites of the handful that I did and I believe one of these will be the basis for the final piece that will represent Lake Alvin in my Great Places Series.