Winter Sun Sets

Winter Sun Sets

Painted plein air in the fields behind my home on Feb 27, 2024, 7" x 5" (w x h), Daniel Smith, Schmincke Horadam, and Winsor & Newton watercolors, selected for light fastness and permanence on 140 lbs. Fabriano Artistico cold press rough 100% cotton extra white watercolor paper, framed.
$200

My palette and setup on the snow.

The view...

Future Museum Notes:
Winter Sun Sets was painted plein air in February, 2024. It portrays the artist's command of watercolor and design, simplicity to abstract while staying based in reality. The use of the extra white watercolor paper, the only white on the watercolor artist's palette, is evident not only in the snow, but also in the separation of color areas, and especially as the bright sun, the focal point of the scene. Since this was painted quickly, plein air, this white-line effect was done to keep each color separate and distinct while the colors dried. Whereas, in the sun and the winter bare trees, the artist used wet on wet color. There is a blending of colors, orange and yellow around the sun, brown and blue across the bare woods, a gradation. The conscious use of the sun's color and the tonal range, from the white crisp-edge center to the yellow glow and then blending to orange, keeps the eye centered on the lightest part of the sun and its glow. Regarding applying the watercolor, the artist's well known use of mostly flat brushes is evident in the pointed strokes blue snow shadows sweeping sideways across the snow.

The artist stated: "This was painted small and fast since at the end of this winter plein air session the sun was setting. There wasn't enough time to paint a large watercolor. Plus the setting sun was taking away not only the light but also the only warmth that was keeping my fingers from freezing and my wet watercolor paints thawed and drying, not freezing."