Winter light--Our Willows

  I spent yesterday morning, in doors doing this one in Pastel.  Its on colorfix board, with a simple watercolor underpainting.  I recently read in Stapleton Kearn's Blog a nice way of thinking of the underpainting.  He wrote---"An underpainting is a way of separating the problems of drawing and design from the problems of color"---And that works for me.  You need to think of the underlying abstract patterns that hold your paintings together.  Doing your Notans.......Dark/light explorations are well worth the time and thought it takes, and makes all that follows easier.  Anyhow, I am really trying to learn these things. This is a snow scene on the ranch on Foothill---Winter willows are just so pretty, with the reds and pinks in them, add the light and maybe a painting is born!