Puddle, 44" x 30", w/c on arches
One of my favorite subjects - reflections. This large watercolor (44" x 30") was inspired by the reflections of trees in a small puddle. As I walked quietly in the woods, suddenly I caught a glimpse of the sky on the ground, looked closer, and saw the trees and sky reflected in a puddle full of leaves. The puddle wasn't more than twelve inches or so wide. I was immediately drawn to the wonderful contrast of blue and orange, the broken, mosaic quality of the submerged leaves, how the leaves interacted with the reflections and how rich the colors appeared. I did some sketches, noted the colors quickly with watercolor and took a couple of reference photos. I knew I wanted to make this small moment large and watercolor not only presented a challenge; it was the perfect medium for the subject. To get the light blue sky to really contrast with the orange and brown leaves, I used Chinese white (a semi-opaque watercolor) mixed with cobalt blue over the original painted leaves to get the effect of submerged leaves and branches you see above. I kept one yellow leaf floating on top of the water also for for contrast.
There is beauty everywhere in the woods. I don't know if anyone else ever walked the same path I did that day or may have seen this small moment of beauty in nature. In making this small moment large I hope when people see it, it may inspire them to notice small moments more often.
