A friend and I went out to paint today. After two beautiful (but cool) days, today seemed perfect. We went to the C&O Canal along the Clara Barton Parkway and wonderously found a parking spot–many canoers and hikers there as it is a federal holiday. We spent some time looking around and filming then decided to do the gatehouse from this angle with the light on the house and water. Unfortunately, by the time we were set up, the light was gone and it never came back–totally overcast!  I had made a mental note of how the light was hitting the house and just had to wing it!  The building is whitewashed stone, very irregular, with interesting off-white color. Of course, it was all the same when we were looking at it.  I chose a mid-value blue green and beige color and used those two for the shadowed side, with a light yellow for the lit area. The running water was a challenge for me–not something I do very often. I used greens, browns, grayed reds, and slate blues.  I carried the blues and blue greens into the window in the house as well. Simplifying the color palette, I hope, keeps the eye focused on the light, while creating harmonious surroundings.

 

Lock 6, C&O Canal, 14 x 11, UART 500