Mt. Tam Mist

I like painting Mt. Tamalpais - or Mt Tam as we call it - in the different seasons. It looks so different in each season. It is often shrouded in mist which gives it a mysterious quality. In summer the scrub dries out and becomes a golden wheat color  - as can be seen in my Mt. Tam Peak watercolor.

Autumn Glow

I had a few weeks of not liking anything that I painted - painter's block I guess.  So I was thinking how to change course and come up with something totally different. I was thinking of the time I lived on the east coast and how lovely the fall colors were. I still wanted my watercolor to be more representational than realistic though. I started out by masking the tree trunks and glazing the paper with a pale yellow, followed by lots of splattering with different shades of yellow.  When that was dry I removed the masking fluid and scrunched up some saran wrap, dipped it into various shades and dabbed them onto the page.  I'm pleased with the result and think it worked out well.