Shady Reflections, 2008
oil on canvas, 15"x 24"
I have several pictures of this spot in Greenbriar Cove that I want to paint. This one just happened to fit a canvas I had recently finished building. A long horizontal composition would really capture this reflection filled place.
I wanted the painting to have an overall green tone to it so I started by underpainting in greens while working out my values to control the light in the space.
I began adding medium and dark blues to build the rocks and darker areas. I also sketched in tree trunks in a very general way.
I started making the light in the middle distance and bringing it into the reflection in the middle ground. I also got started on creating the rocks and their forms with highlights.
I did a lot of work on the rocks, painting several layers of darker tones and progressively lighter ones as I went as well as dropping back and creating shadows and building the edges of the creek.
When I paint woods with full leaves in sunlight I like to get a feeling of all of the small spots of sun peeking through the gaps between leaves. To do this I often start with a bright underpainting of many different sized dots and dabs of colors.
Now I am making some headway on the water and woods. I added green and orange spots to the rocks which will begin their coloration.
The rocks are almost done and the water is going through several minute changes. I have steadily darkened the image as well to show off the brighter areas. This piece had a lot of small adjustments in the way the dappled light took shape and the speckled surfaces of the rocks changes with it.
The water in the lower left was the last part to change much toward the end. Highlights and shadows were constantly added to bring out greater contrasts on a constant basis. Letting a piece sit a long time in the studio helps me settle on a final and finished state to add a signature to.
