Winter Wetlands
14 x 20
While looking through old (2+ years) the other day, I came across this one. Having arrived back in Oregon from Hawaii in the middle of winter, the theme resonated with me. Although I feel I've changed directions in my work, I still love the Oregon winter landscapes; the winter sky where the sun almost breaks through the clouds, the flocks of birds, the misty background.
When I pulled this piece out of a pile, it was appealing, but bland. I clipped it to my board and began to enhance the sky with French ultramarine. I saw that I needed to bring more attention to the focal area where the birds fly in to the rivulet, so darkening the sky brought a lot more drama to this piece.
One thing I've gained in the past couple of years is more confidence to be bold. I don't know if I think this is a particularly great painting, but I do respond to the subject matter and enjoyed the simplicity of improving it.
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