Summer Days

This photo was taken on a  Presquile Provincial Park walk.

 Behind the viewer is a pretty meadow, 

low lying often with standing water and young trees,

a favourite of wildlife, sometimes deer... often plentiful birdlife.

In front of the viewer is a canopy of trees 

leading to a cool area of old growth forest, 

a welcome respite on a hot summer day.

In my interpretation 

the spindly trees of the foreground 

have become more substantial and lush.

This allowed me to create soft foreground masses

that act as a contrast 

to the dark but inviting entrance 

into the woods.

Leslie1460@gmail.com

Bonnechere sketchbook

After working with pastels 

for several weeks 

I felt the need for a change 

and pulled out 

my watercolours.

The photo was taken last summer in Bonnechere Provincial Park.

 I had tackled this subject in pastel 

but  hadn't been able to capture 

the interesting contrasts between the reddish tree,

the yellow green grasses on the left 

and the dark reflection on the far right.

This is my quick sketch

 trying to capture the contrasts 

as well as the light bouncing of the surfaces.

Some of that energy appears to be lost 

 but that is deceiving

 as the photo of the finished watercolour

doesn't reflect

some of the more subtle

 play of colour 

seen in the original.