The Green Mountain State has been very green this spring. I mean deep greens as well as many shades of green. Someone told me today Vermont has had only two weekends with no rain since the first of January. That statement is hard to accept but it might well be the case. I have observed a lot of gray days.
Regardless, of rain or not I have been painting outside a lot. I have been been painting outside what is before me in a fast and direct way. Plus, I have been painting on different surfaces and at different sizes. This watercolor is an unusual size: a square format(12" x 12"), not the usual horizontal(landscape) format. With this size you have to think twice about how you want to develop your composition. In this case, I simply started painting on this sheet with no hesitation as I had time constrains.
This watercolor was painted walking distance from my house. There is a small pond next to the Chestnut Reservoir which often hosts a great heron amongst the wetland growth. The perspective is unique as I was looking down towards the center of the pond which has a bowl-like quality to it. Yes-it has deep, still, dark reflections which makes the experience have a meditative-like quality to it.
Regardless, of the quality of this watercolor I am excited about some new techniques I have been experimenting with. One is lifting out pigment with both a brush and paper towel. Other techniques included dry brush work and negative painting along the shore where the grasses overlap the water. I have even been blending pigments at the base of the grasses to suggest a more rooted plant then a simple wash can convey.
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