The marine layer was still heavy when I met my friends at San Dieguito Lagoon. The pathways of the tidal flow were beautiful and immediately became my focus.

The sun, masked by fog, was just showing above the hills, and much of the landscape was in murky shadows. The water was two-toned, bright with reflected light and a contrasting indigo blue. I worked quickly, but even so, there were significant visual changes as I went along. For instance, the trees’ edges began to light up, and the water’s color shifted from gray to blue.

About two hours later, the tide had come in a bit but, the morning was still overcast. Nevertheless, the landscape was illuminated with the kind of overhead light that allows color to show. The water was still two-toned and now showing blue and purple.

Both of these gouache sketches are on a half sheet of Stonehenge Black Watercolor paper.