The Thursday painters met in Coronado at Tidelands Park. Two red upturned kayaks caught my eye, and I painted them, simplifying the shapes and colors as I worked.
In the past week, I painted several times at Santee Lakes as I got ready to give a demo sponsored by the San Diego Watercolor Society that took place last Saturday. I posted my first two practice pieces on this blog the final week of December and am now adding two more practice pieces and the three pieces I painted during the demo.
This past Wednesday was cold and overcast, and the scene was about as close to a wintery look as we get in coastal California. Here are the two practice pieces I did that day.
I was expecting something similar on Saturday for the demo, but it was a much colder day with a much brighter sky and warm tones everywhere. Additionally, the lakes had been restocked, so the water had lots of fish, and the shoreline had lots of people fishing, which was fun for all of the sketchers. This next painting is the piece I demoed for the group. I was disappointed in it because it was tight, and the colors clashed, possibly a reflection of some nervousness on my part.
Fortunately, a lanky young man in a hoodie came along and fished near me, and I enjoyed sketching him.
And the day did warm up, as California days do, and I was able to capture some of that warmth in this sketch of three fisher people from across the lake.
Hello New Year! It is so good to see your ancient self again. May I find you as delightful as ever!
Trees are just now losing their leaves in the San Diego area. It makes for beautiful reflections in the water, especially when contrasted with the reeds on the left.
Are people more quiet on misty mornings, or does the mist damp the sound? We ate on a terrace overlooking Hanalei Bay and seemed like everyone spoke in whispers while keeping their eyes on morning sky and changing sea.
Sending the warmest of holiday wishes to each of you, readers, bloggers, fellow art enthusiasts, family, and friends across the globe. May the new year bring peace, fulfillment, and great painting fun to all!
These last months, I have been working on compositions that look directly into the sun and have strongly backlit features with dramatic shadows. The Thursday group went to Coronado Island this past Thursday morning; the sun was bright, the shadows were long, and it was a perfect time to practice these elements.
Twenty minutes before our group meeting, I abandoned the painting I was working on and quickly blocked out this sketch. After looking at the wonderful work from our group and seeing how the others handled the light, I went home and reworked this little sketch, adding much brighter color to the landscape and highlighting the figures.
Deliberate Sketching 