Yosemite Falls

I did this painting in ’94, plein air, in Yosemite National Park.

When I started painting, I was encouraged to ‘get out there and take workshops.’  Find out what other artists are doing.  Investigate who I am as an artist.  Build an arsenal of tools and techniques.  I hadn’t been painting long enough to have developed my own voice (style) but I certainly wanted to and I wanted it ‘right now!’  When I look back through my paintings over the years the one thing that definitely grabs me is color.  I find that using a very limited palette (yellow, red (rose), blue) and mixing my own secondary colors and neutrals gives me the power to control the overall mood of a painting.  And as you know, in watercolor you are mostly out of control, so being in control of at least one thing feels pretty good!

Happy Painting!