This watercolor was a painting demo and we were inspired by Winslow Homer's beautiful watercolors. They have incredible depth and are composed with something "light" against something dark. The scene pops out! This method focuses the eye to one center of interest. In the Pt Reyes Class, where I created this demo, some painters were mixing up "warm" with "dark". One is a value and one is a temperature and learn to "see" both qualities independently.

Photos will not capture the whole essence of any painting, but it will help the artist see the painting as others see your work. I use photos during the painting process because it allows me to quit painting sooner that later. Once I capture the impression of a scene and I have two complimentary colors working, I photo the image and only complete what is confusing. This sometimes means removing color. I build a painting, I don't fix it!

In winter and have my car set up for oil painting or watercolor depending on the scene. Multiple buildings and too many trees in front often make the composition complicated so I choose watercolors. I paint what is in front first and work backwards. As the scene evolves on paper, I can see the composition that tells the story and I move to oils-its a classic way to approach an oil composition!

Vermont in winter is a story-colors not only symbolize feelings they are the feel of the cold-temperatures that we feel. When a painting "sings" we used to think we were imagining the song. But science has discovered that music and color are one and the same, And temperature is too.
Don't let this get in your way while you paint, but look for the song and go with the story the colors want to tell.

Winter and Chickadees make for great painting subject matter. In fact paint your winter blues with some warm ochres and color will affect your mood. Art is the experience of meaning. And making art will add a dimension to life.
Those that want some art therapy, may need some techniques to paint their experience because it is similar to writing and understanding verbs and nouns. Winter blues can come to life in new ways with color!

No this is not a painting it is a woodblock print-oil base ink on cotton fabric. It is from my body of work over the last forty years. I teach woodblock printing at Pt Reyes Seashore Field Institute, Sorensen's Resort(in Sierras of CA) and Laguna Foundation, CA.
Artists often refer to their older works as OLD. Old is not the way friends, patrons or collectors see the image. Ring in the New Year and bring the OLD too! Beauty is timeless.

Here is an oil from my "Impressionism Unraveled" class at Pt Reyes National Seashore. I demonstrated adding Monet's secret color lavender at the end of the painting.
Impressionism is about the color of light, not the actual color of objects up close to your eye-green leaves, green trees, green grass, etc
Water lily pads are green but the glare of the sun makes them appear the color of white light. Using naples yellow works! Here is the watercolor demo.