Fresh tracks

(C) 2018 Dale DiMauro

These days I begin a studio painting with a specific approach. Lately, I tone the paper before I really start painting. In this watercolor which I am beginning to become excited about, a wet wash of cobalt blue was applied across the whole sheet. This way I can go cooler as needed for both the snow and sky. Yet, I can also introduce some warm color, in the sun, for example, if needed.

What attracted me to this scene is how the shadows draw the viewer right into the picture with such a rich blue. The other appealing quality is the shrubby undergrowth on the left in contrast to the blue-green evergreen massing.

I was looking to perhaps finish this painting today. However, the weather was so uncharacteristically mild that I had to get outside. Actually, I did paint a plein air while I was in Keene in the afternoon.