Summer Textures - Watercolour/ Mixed Media

As July becomes August 

the intense summer light has peaked.

Around the edges of tree tops and bushes

 the lush foliage is beginning to

 to fade and curl back .

Hints of rich autumn colour contrast 

with the spare branches of old growth trees.

 

Old Growth Forest at it's peak

 

Woodland studies

 

Watercolour studies

Contrast and Pattern

Although I work in a realistic style 

the abstract elements of any project 

are uppermost when choosing

how to interpret a subject.

Here the morning mists 

were lifting over a wet marshland 

leaving the dead trees 

in stark contrast 

to the surrounding wetland.

In this second watercolour...

again the subject is old trees.

The dark and moody oaks

 line a roadway

against a background 

of filtered light and

youthful undergrowth.

 In the first I concentrated on keeping the background 

loose and airy as a contrast 

to the twisted and stark, dead willows.

In the second 

there is a less obvious contrast  

between the old oaks

which are almost overwhelmed

by the lively background.

The overall pattern is held in place

 by the direct roadway 

leading into the distance.

Setting compositional challenges 

brings an extra dimension 

to your interpretation of a subject

and is the beginning 

of developing a personal style.

Sketchbook - Woodlands 2014

 Two watercolour sketches from last summer.

In this one I'm exploring 

the contrast between old bark 

and the delicate undergrowth of ferns and vines.

If you watch kids on a woodland hike 

they spend a lot of time looking at the ground

...good idea!

There's interesting stuff below our feet.

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.