Winter Glow

One of the features of watercolor painting that attracted me from photography is the freedom it offers to imagine and compose scenes. Certainly, with advances in digital image editing and AI assistance, that gap is closing. However, it is appealing to me to sit before a blank sheet of paper and realize that the painting I create is only limited by my imagination and skill as an artist.

My reference picture for this painting could only be described as drab with dull colors and distracting details which are so often an issue with photographs. Instead, I imagined a scene with warm sunlight peeking out under the bridge which would be my center of interest. I created a value study of darks and grays to plan where I wanted to create interesting contrasts and the elements of my composition. Notice how I used various details to guide your eye around the painting in a circular motion back to the center of interest. The background was left purposely ethereal and lacking detail in order to focus attention on the midground of the painting. These features give the painting a feeling of depth which is so vital when painting on a 2D sheet of paper.

I hope you experience the same feeling of joy and energy that I did after painting this. Now, whenever I drive across this small bridge on the Eno River, I find myself smiling!