A Small Watercolor Landscape - watch it come together

I am finally able to use my new studio space!  It has been several weeks - moving, unpacking, getting settled, starting a new semester at work... just very busy.  But finally, I'm getting my brushes wet - and here's a new little watercolor landscape.  Look below and see how I progressed through each stage to a finished small painting. 

Field of Flowers, 4x6" watercolor on paper 

©Helen Read

A field of Black-Eyed Susans... pretty much as far as the eye can see! 

Here are its various stages of development: 

First marks of color - adding wet into wet ultramarine blue with some violet

Starting to faintly lay in the edges of trees - also wet into wet.

Progressing - looking more like a landscape. Trying to establish more contrasts in value. 

Putting in some foreground - while building the middle ground.  And working with greens; pushing the values back and forth - trying to achieve a good green without being too blue or too yellow or too bright green!

Just about done!  Adjusting values. Adding the suggestion of flowers in the foreground. 
Ready for matting and to find its new home! 

Throwback Thursday - Egret

Knee Deep - Snowy Egret, 7 x 11.5" watercolor/acrylic on paper
© Helen Read 

 

 I've come to enjoy egrets in a new way, just lately.  My new residence backs up to a lake and I get to see egrets almost every day.  Not too many days ago, I counted 6 on our little lake all at once!  I don't think I've ever seen them in that number before.  They truly are stately and beautiful.
This painting was done a few years ago.  I had been to South Carolina and really enjoyed watching them fish in the coastal waters.  This one is still available and would make a beautiful addition to almost any room!  Maybe it would look lovely in your home! 

Back to some drawing

Back yard drawing on this beautiful afternoon in September! My move has certainly slowed down my studio work - that and starting a new semester at work!  It's been a busy, busy few months. 

My studio is almost put together and I look forward to getting a new canvas prepared and beginning a new painting.  Today was a little warm up! 

Getting back to it!

     It's been a rather long resettlement process!  I've gotten moved and finally, today, I'm back online - its taken nearly a month to move and get all systems up and running.  The day after my move was complete, I started back to work in the new semester, so its been hectic and very disorganized.  I'm happy to be back, though.   And while I finish getting my studio functional (I've worked a lot on that task today), I'm posting some work from awhile back.  It's still available, and I would love to find its permanent home!  Perhaps it could come to your home! 

Swedish Birches,  7x10" Oil pastel on illustration board

© Helen Read