Tuesday 16 December 2014

"Across the Valley"
Watercolour  4"x5.5"


For "Across the Valley" I used a the sketch below as
 a reference to paint from.  The sketch was done high
up a logging road on a cold winters day.  Backing the 
truck into a small meadow, I could sit in the trunk with my
little set of watercolours and a cup of water with the entire 
valley unfolding in front of me.  Magical!

I adore watercolours for their portability, and often take 
them with me on travels. There is now quite a collection 
of quick sketches from all over the world in my sketchbooks. 
It's striking how just a glance at a page instantly invokes
vivid  memories of specific places and occasions.
Once, in a museum, I saw pages from James Whistler's sketchbook. 
 It was dense with acute observations of the English countryside.  
Absolutely gorgeous and compelling.



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