Plein-air morning, also another watercolor!

With the Markleeville Plein-air event up coming in June, I felt I really need to be out there getting in shape for it!!  It has been so cold this spring, and at higher elevations, in the am, that is something you need to be aware of. Some springs start so much warmer than these last 3  or so have, but we are now getting some some spring color, birds and flowers, and less snow around.  I drove up the airport road in Alpine county, just looking, when I came to this pond.  Easy to get to, and larger than it usually is, with room to park and for the dogs to walk and run.  In about 1 1/2 hours I had done this.   7  x  12 on Uart mounted to foamcor- - -a very nice surface to work on out doors.  I had a blast, when I finished I had a feeling of leaving a different world and returning to mine!! Dogs had just found a spot, and laid down for a rest.  I want to go here again, as it is a large pond with more compositions to explore.

I also want to show you my "grapes" , this was from the watercolor workshop, but I was late that first morning so didn't really get the up leading information or see the Demo for this one.  I was helping to load calves for the sale!!  Good thing the workshop was only 5 minutes form home!!    This is large, and as I understood later, was a good class- type project as it helped to learn to use the wash technique, and also the staining colors that Jeannie Vodden uses and was trying to teach us! 

she did give each person an image to trace onto their watercolor paper.  I did stretch my paper, as I love that, but many did not- - some did.

This was my first wash over the grapes.  I did this all at home about a week and half after the workshop.  I really feel I did OK because I got to watch others work on theirs, ask questions, and watch other demo's done by Jeannie.  She was great about answering questions!  I let this dry, and about 3 days later, went over it with another wash.

I really enjoyed doing this,  I tried to separate the grapes a bit by value, making some darker but only with about 20 percent of the value of color, and tried to keep some the same color, only darker value, also mingling colors in each little wash.  I grouped washed the grapes in the upper right-hand corner. I did some negative painting on the leaves. I wanted a pale background, so left it alone.  I then didn't  touch it again for several days.

Today I did the last of the grapes, just wanting to increase the value's in some area's.  I had let it sit quite awhile, just living with it, and trying to understand the method. Each time you glaze over a color, its so beautiful! I can see why the staining colors are used, they look just like stained glass!  Also, they do not lift with the next watery wash like a non-staining color may.   I really did enjoy this project, and feel l learned some very useful things!!   I can not wait until Sept., I do plan to attend Jeannie's Open Studio in Jackson.  Information on this on her web site.  See you there!