My family took a trip several years ago to the Bankhead National Forest in northern Alabama and I took numerous reference photos there. I don't know the name of this particular creek, so the painting's title only refers to the general area. While there, my two boys enjoyed dropping big rocks in the water and watching the splash.

I love areas like this with their sense of isolation, the sound of the water, the lush vegetation and the mossy boulders. Here I feel a sense of peace and a reminder of God's presence.