Recently, I have been taken by landmass rising to the top of a page in a circular sort of composition. These shapes dominate the San Diego landscape with its canyons, mesas, and bluffs and are perfect for showing the interplay of color and texture.

Today’s landscape is painted from near the same location as my January 12 post from Lake Murray. However, the weather today was mellow and very different from the cold wind earlier this month. The water is placid and reflective in this second painting, but the calmer weather made the textures of the foliage much more visible. It is interesting what a difference weather can make.

Both paintings are gouache on black watercolor paper, the earlier painting is on a half sheet of 140-pound Stonehenge Aqua Black, and today’s painting is on a 9 x 12 inch 300-pound Shizen paper. I also sprayed a light coat of Golden Archival Varnish on this second one, so it catches a bit of sparkle.