Mogadore Reservoir watercolor 21 x 13.5
is our local retreat into nature. We have hiked its trails, kayaked the waters, observed the wildlife, photographed its wonders and collected its rosehips for the past 40 years. It is dear to us. Every now and again, I paint landscape. While not my favorite subject, I give it my all. Perhaps the vastness of all of that organic substance is too confusing for me. I dislike using masking fluid, as well as painted individual leaves. In short, many watercolor landscapes have far too much hard edge for my liking. My process is a more overall chaotic treatment siphoned into a bit of detail. I liken it to an accordion as it expands and retracts. So...my work was cut out for me.
All efforts at producing the texture of leaves in the foreground ran amuk in the darkness of the shadows....and the itty-bitty-ness of it all bothered my aesthetic. A few leaves, the hangers-on, were painted in quick strokes. The overall feel is exactly the way I feel as we enter the autumn woods, however.
