Here is a painting from Yosemite. Yosemite is 90% wild (and Wilderness) and we all enjoy it, unless you think there are too many people?
I have a celebrate wilderness Project on Kickstarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1160498564/wilderness-landscapes-oil-paintings-for-wilderness

This project ends April 4th and is a way I can give paintings away for cost! Thanks for joining in and I hope to see you soon, painting and enjoying great landscapes.

California Hills are so fun to paint and they inspire the imagination...just around the corner...I know this secret spot. I believe this is what makes a great painting which is that the painter does not try to paint everything they see but just a solid structure. This allows the viewer to add their own details. Its a conversation in paint! Paint the land forms in a landscape and let the viewer add the details.

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!