Sketch of the Day – Feb. 24, 2012

Feb 24, 2012 - Farm On Middle Pownal Road, Pownal, Vermont

Farm on Middle Pownal Road, Pownal, Vermont. Seems that I’ve been visiting Pownal, VT a good bit recently. This small quick sketch was done looking at another farm in Pownal, this one along a dirt road known as Middle Pownal Road. Like my previous two sketches (Feb 22 & Feb 23), this one takes a minimal approach and puts more emphasis on the effect of light and overall design than it does on capturing reality. The color palette for this sketch is a return to the one from Feb 22 with cad red and thalo blue dominant and the addition of cerulean and raw sienna. Although this is a much less finished work than many others in this series, it’s simplicity brings focus to the main theme which is the bright, winter morning light striking the side of the barn. The sketch is built with all of the elements supporting that single theme – light struck trees, long shadows and snowy fields also capturing the bright sunlight.
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Sketch of the Day, Feb 23, 2012 – “Pownal Farm, Simplified”

Feb. 23, 2012 - Pownal Farm, Simplified

Pownal Farm, Simplified. In a continuation of the theme from yesterday’s sketch, this work was also condensed to simple shapes in the form of a vignette. Like yesterday, this sketch was done early on a clear, sunny morning. From my vantage point, the farm buildings were backlit and cast large, long shadows into the forground.

Unlike yesterday’s sketch, the colors in this one are more realistic grays and browns, with liberty taken in the placement of cool and warm temperature passages to create interest through contrast.

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Sketch of the Day – Feb. 22, 2012

Feb 22, 2012 - Winter Farm Scene, Pownal, Vermont

Winter Farm Scene, Pownal Vermont. This started out to be a more traditional sketch like “Marie Hill Farm, Andover Vermont” on Feb. 15, or Taraden Barn, North Bennington, Vermont on Feb 18, but a desire to get away from the winter palette that’s been mentioned so often in these posts lead to a different interpretation of this scene with a different palette of color. The light on this early morning was creating stark and bold shadows that were being cast across the road. That single element became the catalyst for thinking and creating this sketch in a much simplified way. In laying out the pencil layout, the farm buildings were simplified by paying more attention to their defining planes, and to whether a particular plane was in full light, in shade or perhaps catching a shadow. The idea of simplification also led directly to the notion that a vignette – or leaving large portions of the paper untouched – might be a way to emphasize the long, stark shadows. Working with the positive and negative space seemed a way to further enhance design over realism

The scene as it appeared on this sunny morning was very much in the manner of the other winter scenes I’ve created during the course of this series with grays, tans and browns dominating. Since this sketch became an exercise in simplification and design, the color palette was selected with simplicity in mind while also enhancing the overall theme. The brilliant light created deep blue shadows on the ground suggesting something other than the normal “winter blues”. It didn’t take long to decide to use thalo blue – a deep, dark, very cool and intense blue – for the shadows. In keeping with simplicity, a good complement to thalo blue was needed, so that there would be the capacity to mix some good darks and neutral grays. The choice for the complement was cadmium red light, a warm, slightly orange, red that works well to neutralize the intense and staining thalo blue. Along with these two, three other colors were included on the palette: cerulean blue – another cool, but light and very sedimentary blue, raw sienna – a trusty color from the “winter palette” and great for mixing light neutrals, and permanent rose – an somewhat intense cool red that, when mixed with cool blues, creates low intensity, dusky violets which are perfect for the shady side of a red barn.

The sketch developed rather quickly. The initial focus was on creating an acute “horizontalness” by essentially painting positive shapes from the left to the right border. This included the snow shadows at far left, the shaded side of the barn at upper left, distant mountain and dark foliage in the middle left, the “main” barn complex and silos in the middle right and the small dark piece of mountainside and lightstruck building to the right. At the same time, the horizontal sense was somewhat offset by tilting the large horizontal, positive shape slightly to the right.

It was a conscious decision to leave the few strong verticals – tree trunks and utility pole to the left and treetop in the middle right – unpainted, negative space, in order to create balance for the overall composition.

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Sketch of the Day, Feb. 21, 2012

Feb. 21, 2012 - Deep Woods Near Chester Vermont

Deep Woods Near Chester, Vermont. In traveling from one place to another and with a full schedule, it was difficult to find time for a sketch today. This scene presented itself so I pulled over and made a quick go of it.

I’ve always been attracted to sunlight filtering through the tree canopy and spilling onto snow pack. The contrast of deep gray shadows against the patches of light along with tree trunks displaying various conditions of light, shade and shadow is so appealing that I usually have difficulty not stopping everytime I see something like this.

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Sketch of the Day, Feb. 19, 2012

Feb. 19, 2012 - Tree Trunks in the "Y" Woods

Tree Trunks in the “Y” woods. Today is the second day of my Wet into Wet Watercolor workshop and rather than try to start another sketch during lunch, like yesterday, I did this work in the morning before leaving for the class. Our neighborhood has the great benefit of having a preserved stand of woods in its midst. Called the “Y” woods, for reasons that I don’t know, it is a great place to walk the dog, ride a trail bike, XC ski (when there is enough snow to do so) or just stroll through. It is home to all sorts of wild critters, from the mundane – rabbits, mice, squirrels, deer – to the somewhat exotic – bear, moose, fox, coyote and even, according to one neighbor, Canadian Lynx! It is common to hear the call of owls emanating from the woods at night. In fact, while out walking the dog just a couple nights ago, we both heard the call of a Great Horned Owl low and rumbling through the trees! This little scene presented itself near the edge of the woods as the morning sun caught the standing and fallen trees and cast gray-blue shadows.

For the first time in this series, I used Fabriano Aquarello paper fitted into a home-made sketch book. Being a slick paper, it works in a very similar way to the paper in the Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook.

 

 

 

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Sketch of the Day, Feb. 18, 2012

Feb. 18, 2012 - Taraden Barn, North Bennington, Vermont

Taraden Barn, North Bennington, Vermont. I started this sketch during the lunch break of a weekend workshop – Wet into Wet Watercolor – which was being held at Taraden B & B, in North Bennington. This view out of one of the finished barns toward the entry of another is familiar to me and I have painted it several time before. Most recently it was painted last winter during another weekend workshop. This particular February day was un-typically sunny and snow-less – this whole winter has been sunny, snow-less and relatively warm.

Despite the lack of snow and the plentiful sun on this day, the winter palette – ultramarine and cobalt blues, raw and burnt sienna dominate this work as well. The green of the barn shingles is created mostly with cerulean blue with some raw sienna.

This quick sketch was done in the Canson Montval Watercolor Field Sketchbook.

For comparisons sake, I’ve also posted this sketch which was done just over a year ago, at another weekend watercolor workshop. The

Feb. 6, 2011 - watercolor demo for workshop of Taraden B & B, barn, North Bennington, Vermont

most notable difference between the two is probably the depiction of the weather conditions. In very stark contrast to the current winter, the winter of 2010- 2011 was very cold, snowy and gray. While the vantage point is the same in both works, this one focuses on the structure of the building and the deep snow cover piled on it.

This sketch was not done in a sketchbook, but on a piece of 140 lb. cold press, Kilimanjaro brand watercolor paper.
Contact me if you have an interest in this or any other paintings on the site. Email me at tc@tonyconner.com or by phone at 802-375-5548.

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Sketch of the Day – Feb. 17, 2012

Feb. 17, 2012 - LaClair Road Puddles, Shaftsbury, Vermont

LaClair Road Puddles, Shaftsbury, Vermont. This area of Shaftsbury, Vermont is one of my favorite places to paint – see the sketch from Feb. 13, which is part of this territory. I went there early on this morning to try to get a sketch done. This view looks east and includes a lonely stretch of dirt road that was very muddy from recent rain. The edges and shoulders of both sides of the road had standing puddles. From my vantage point, the puddles on the left were reflecting the dark colors from the trees and brush on that side of the road. On the right side, the puddles were reflecting the light sky and one puddle also had the reflection of one of the utility poles along that side of the road. Although for all of the sketches in this series one of my main goals is to develop the skill of capturing the feeling and effect of a scene very quickly- under an hour if possible – this one took almost twice that long.

 

 

 

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Sketch of the Day – Feb. 16, 2012

Feb. 16, 2012 - Mt. Anthony and Westward Morning Sky

Mt. Anthony and Westward Morning Sky. This quick sketch was done early this morning looking west out of my studio window. I spotted this sky coming together while out walking the dog a little before the sun had actually risen. Once back home, I picked up a pencil and sketched Mt. Anthony and the other land forms nearby. The sky was then washed in quickly by mingling cadmium red, cadmium yellow, permanent red and cobalt blue together in the sky with an effort to catch and maintain the shape of the violet blue clouds within a relatively watery mixture. The most fascinating thing about this very simple scene for me was that the warmth in the western sky made it appear as if the sun was actually setting at that time of the day. The sketch is about 6” x 9” and was done in a Montval Watercolor Field Sketch book.
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Sketch of the Day – Feb. 15, 2012

Feb. 15, 2012 - Marie Hill Farm, Andover Vermont

Marie Hill Farm, Andover Vermont.  This farm sits on a hill along the north side of Vt Rt 11, between Londonderry and Chester, Vermont.   I travel along this route often and notice the farm everytime.  On this day, the scene struck me as being particularly “wintery” during a year when we’ve really not had much of a winter.

The sketch itself was done with very fluid washes applied quickly and directly.  The colors are from my four-part “winter palette” plus a little cerulean blue.

I did this sketch in a Canson Montvale Watercolor Field Sketchbook.  It’s the first time I’ve used this sketchbook for this series, and had forgotten how much I really like it for plein air sketching.  The paper is not all that absorbent, but has a soft, slightly textured surface which is terrific for flowing washes and direct work.
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Watercolor Sketch of the Day – Feb. 13, 2012

Shimmering Stream off Myers Road, Shaftsbury, VT.  A busier day than usual kept me from doing anything too ambitious.  This little stream flows under Myers Road at the intersection with Bennett Hill Road in Shaftsbury.  I’ve passed it and noticed it many times, but never stopped to paint.  Needing a subject to work on quickly, I thought of this little scene and decided to make it my sketch of the day.  Normally on winter days, I find a good scene which I can see from inside my car.  Meaning there has to be a way to see the scene while parked in a safe location.  This view is actually not visible from any safe parking location, so I parked the car, jumped out with my Moleskine watercolor sketchbook and pencil and walked to where I could get this view point.  I put the pencil sketch in, did my best to burn colors and values into my brain, and went back to the car.  A couple times, I’d leave the sketch while it was still wet, get out, and go back over just to make sure I was getting the look of the scene.   Finally, I finished after about 25 minutes.  The sketch is about 4 1/2 “ x 8” and done in a Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.
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