Late winter sun

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

Recently, I have been going on late afternoon walks where the sun on the landscape has been spectacular. This time of day brings out the warmth of the sun, which casts a glow on anything in its path. Conversely, the areas devoid of the sun seem to have a cool yet transparent quality to them. Even the sky and shrubby growth, absent of its foliage, has a warm color which makes it very appealing.

The colors out in nature can be quite vivid, even at this time of year. Lately, I have paid greater attention to the colors I see on my walks, which is challenging as the light changes rapidly due to moving cloud cover and the shortness of daylight. I have been trying to mix colors on my palette that I see on my walks or that have been inspired by these experiences. 

This is a watercolor I started based on one of these afternoon walks. I like how the shrubbery, in all its different colors and forms, frames the composition. Often I neglect to use brown madder, the reddish color in the foreground, but this scene called for it. In addition, the shadows have begun to define the geometry of the buildings, which always is an exciting stage of any painting for me.