Painting at Sunset

 

The most dramatic lighting for painting is early in the morning, and at sunset.  One recent evening, these leaves -- backlit in the long, low angles of the setting sun -- caught my eye.  The contrast between the shadowy woods behind, and this brilliant cluster of cherry leaves drew me in.

I worked quickly with my Winsor & Newton Watercolor paints to capture the scene on Fabriano cold press paper, skipping the usual pencil sketch, and simply sketching with the brush.  I found I liked the effect of mixing the colors right on the page, especially for the dark shadow colors.

You don't have to select a large area for a landscape.  Just a simple cluster of leaves will do if they inspire you!

Sketching Trees

Lately, I've been enjoying the warming weather, the sunshine and the songs of bluebirds out in my local state park.  I've found that studying the structure of trees is easiest right now while they are still bare of leaves, and I can really get into bark texture and other details.  

I began the painting above with this sketch in my nature journal.

And, I came back to the same field the next day, and painted this young oak tree, still clinging to her leaves.

Canopy branches can feel confusing and hard to follow at this level of detail. I find that focusing in on the part of the scene that intrigues me yields the best results.  In this case, the main trunk and lower branches:

One thing that painting these scenes has taught me is to simplify my painting, and focus on the larger forms & values in the landscape.  Simplifying the color scheme to just a few colored pencils or pans of paint also helps to create more unity.  As Thoreau said, "Simplify, simplify ..."

 

Watercolor Projects

 

As we turn towards Autumn, the natural world is full of beauty to capture with my watercolor paints.  Time falls away, and only the colors and nature remain.

Celebrating Color in Summer

The joy of new paints is trying out the colors and exploring what you can do with them.

The page "Things Leaves Do" was inspired by nature journaler Hannah Hinchman, author of A Trail Through Leaves: The Journal as a Path to Place.  She fills illustrated journal pages with topics like "Things Snow Does."

Painting Grandmother Oak

At the foot of my country driveway I can see a massive oak tree I've long admired and wanted to draw.  I call her Grandmother Oak.  One recent summer morning, I toted my paints and pens down to the spot, sketching her first in my nature journal, and then trying to capture her with watercolors.  The gift of a painting done on a summer morning, aside from the experience of painting, is that you get to carry the memory of that time and place with you through the winter every time you look at your artwork.

Self-Care Painting

I have talked with friends, struggling through this period of isolation, who say it has caused their inner critic to kick into overdrive.  I understand, and fight the same battle.  I find that drawing and painting takes me away to a positive place.  Here's a recent painting of a poppy flower

Inspiration from Afar

An artist is an explorer. -- Henri Matisse

My dear friend is traveling in Sedona, Arizona, and sent me a photo of the rocks in the sunlight there.  The text that accompanied the photo spoke of new watercolor paints & paper, and a new pair of hiking boots to explore the "incredibly inspiring" area.  The photo & story lit my imagination, and I was inspired to paint the scene. I send gratitude back to my friend, who had serendipitously left this quote in my kitchen recently:

By doing what you love, you inspire & awaken the hearts of others.  

So true!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Larch Cones

Larch trees are unusual for conifers in that they lose their needles every autumn just like maples and hickories do.  This time of year, the trees turn golden yellow, and glow in the late afternoon light.  I'm taken by the tree's needles -- so much softer than prickly evergreen needles -- and by their cones with the curling tips on their scales.  So many contours!

A good friend sent me a photo of these cones, and it inspired me to tape some watercolor paper to the kitchen counter and paint at the breakfast table.  While the background washes were wet, I sprinkled on salt for added texture.  Once the painting was dry, (& I brushed the salt away) I couldn't resist using Micron pens to pick out the details.