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.

Positive / Negative Space

This poor old bush struggling for survival, 

at first appeared to be a rather uninspiring subject. 

However after some cropping 

and further thought 

I started to see an idea emerge.....

the interplay of positive /negative use of space.

In the top half of the sketch 

I used the traditional 

light (leaves) against dark (background).

While on the bottom half 

the shadowy darks play against the light reflections.

I worked on a midtone pastel paper 

with watercolour pencils and crayons 

to enhance the contrast.

Although as I review this post
I think perhaps the cropped photo 
is more successful than the sketch.
In the photo the bright greens 
allow the top to be slightly more dominant 
giving the eye a place to rest 
whereas in the sketch
both halves are equally strong
making it somewhat unsettling.

Such is life!

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.

Morning Light

Two more experiments 

(in pastel) 

of light filtering through trees.

This first is taken from a sketch based on an early morning walk.

Edge of the field in morning light.

In this detail 

you can see why I like pastel. 

It's very effective in trying to capture

 ...atmosphere.

If you watch a sunrise  (here in Southern Ontario) 

at certain times of the year (spring and fall)

you will often see the sky 

change from a dark, clear, night sky 

to one with a variety of soft, cool /warm variations.

As the sun rises and warms the air

 clouds forms high in the sky

while mists and fog form close to the ground

disappearing as quickly as they appear.

Rising Mist

Yellow

I'm not sure what this means 

from a psychological point of view 

but I seem to be obsessed 

this week

with variations on the colour 

yellow.

Watercolour study of leaves

Sunlit Marsh

The first snow fall of the season 

has given a powdery dusting

 to the view from my studio window 

so the warmth of autumn 

is a tempting distraction.

This small pastel 

was based on some photos 

I took last fall 

of an impending storm.

Although ominous clouds 

threaten in the distance ahead,

strong sunlight from behind me

 highlighted the golden grasses 

spreading out across 

the windswept foreground.

If you look closely you will see these grasses 

are phragmites, an invasive species 

taking over Ontario marshlands.

In my sketch they have become cattails, 

a similar but less innocuous plant.