Yellow & Blue

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

This is a watercolor I did late winter when the cold temperatures finally began to give, providing us with beautiful clear skies. There is something special about the light and shadows cast from our local buildings and onto the land, snow in particular. There are abstract patterns of warm and cool that really amplify the contours of the land. The patterns of light on snow and house provide a distinct regional identity as well as indicate the time of day and year. 

The yellow sign in the foreground seems to really complement the blue of the sky and cool shadows on the snow. I like how the picket fence juts up from the windblown snow. The woodland glow in the far background reflects the warmth of the late afternoon sun, soon to be setting. The stark silhouettes of the deciduous trees allow the eye to see beyond them, yet their friendly branching is familiar and their warm earth colors are quite calming.

Originally, I was not sure how I wanted to handle the mass of evergreen on the right. I ended up simplifying its shape and increasing its height, which made the building and porch column pop forward. I offset this evergreen with a tall scraggly evergreen of similar value on the left.