Off the West River Trail

(C) 2026 Dale DiMauro

 

Water attracts a lot of activity. Sometimes it is bird migration, other times it is paddlers out for a jaunt up the river. 

Whenever I can, I walk along the West River Trail in Brattleboro, VT, partly for exercise but also to see what activity is on the river.

This day I really took note of the sculptural quality of the driftwood along the river's edge. Bird's used it to land on while the shadows it cast on the water were quite compelling.

From a compositional standpoint, the driftwood is a focal point of this watercolor. However, the subdued grays of the distant trees make the warm color pop forward and give the overall tone of the picture a calming affect.