West Davis Pond

We have good painting weather. Our group was out painting from the bike path running along west Davis pond. The trees are bare of foliage for the most part but there is some green vegetation in the background. I had trouble developing a focal area in this painting. The bare trees were back lit with the morning sun. This gave them a very black and deep value. When I put in the couple on the bench for my focus area, it was no competition with the dark trees. I lightened the tree value but I was still not satisfied.

A Road Less Traveled

It has been awhile since I've posted but I have been painting. Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken", indicates to me that one must make a choice. Things have recently unsettled and getting out to paint has been difficult at times. Today was a sunny warm day in northern California. I did a quick sketch and painted this scene in an hour. Love mixing up the greens. We live near a ditch that runs beside the bike path. I often walk the dog down here when not muddy. I know this road well and had fun climbing down into the ditch and painting.