Morning Promenade, Late November

© 2016 Robin Edmundson,
Morning Promenade, Late November [final version]
watercolor, 12 x 9 inches

A couple of weeks ago I was weaving early in the morning and as the sun came out from behind the trees, the chickens happened to walk across the yard outside the studio windows.   The light hit the grass in a golden wedge and the chickens walked across in single file like dancers on a stage under beautifully backlit leaves.

It was gorgeous.

I did a quick sketch and thought about it for a few days before I had a chance to paint and it took a few drafts to figure some things out.  

Drafts are good.  They let you try things out in different ways.   I don't worry about 'ruining' one of these drafts any more than I worry about 'ruining' my favorite song if I decide to sing it a bunch of different ways.    If I can sing that song 12 times, then I can paint this scene 12 times.   The more you practice, the easier it gets.

© 2016 Robin Edmundson, 
Morning Promenade, Late November [Study #1]
watercolor, 12 x 9 inches

This was the first draft.   I really liked how the branch reached across the paper - very Japanese.  But it wasn't right.   Too much paper on the right.  Too brown all over.   The tree needed to be more vertical.

© 2016 Robin Edmundson, 
Morning Promenade, Late November [Study #2]
watercolor, 12 x 9 inches

So I decided to try again with a vertical format and more green in the grass.

I liked this one a lot more, but the leaves weren't crisp or bright enough and the tree really should have gone all the way to the bottom of the composition.  Also, I didn't like the rooster.     I could have cropped it up, but the leaves still weren't right, so I gave it another go.

© 2016 Robin Edmundson, 
Morning Promenade, Late November [final version]
watercolor, 12 x 9 inches

Better tree.  Better leaves.   Better light on the chickens. Better tree bark.  Better grass.

I'm calling this set finished.  

Colors: cobalt blue, quinacridone burnt orange,  new gamboge, Mission burnt sienna, raw umber, a touch of viridian in the rooster's tail and a touch of permanent alizarin crimson for the combs.