Get Lost In Nature

This is a scene in Washington Park, Denver that I have painted before which begs the question "with all the subject matter available, why paint something that you have painted before." It is because I was familiar with this landscape that I wanted to paint it again in a different way by emphasizing different techniques and emotions. This time I concentrated on creating texture with visible brushstrokes and also that wonderful feeling you get when you realize that right here in the city you can take a walk among the trees and get lost in mother nature.

This painting was done during a private lesson which means I explained what I was doing step by step. It was rewarding to see my student and new friend develop his own version with his own style and emotions. By manipulating my brush and placing the paint right where I wanted with only short brushstrokes plus spattering and controlling edges, I was able to express just what I wanted. If you look closely, you can see where I scratched out some of the damp paint with my fingernail for added texture. The colors in the tree trunks are burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, raw umber and the leaves are olive green, cerulean blue, lemon yellow and terra verde. The colors in the distance are a mixture of cerulean blue and olive green,

The placement of the two figures was important because I wanted them to look like they belonged in nature rather than intruders. With this in mind, I made them small in scale as they walked on the path between the looming trees. I even chose their clothes to fit with the idea that there was a chill in the air as autumn approached. I am teaching an online Zoom class at the Art Students League of Denver, "Figures In Landscape With Watercolor," which starts this Tuesday September 8th at 1:30 - 3:30. We will be developing figures and working them into the landscape and studying master artists who do this so effectively. The class is only four weeks and it is not to late to join. Happy Painting! Dennis Pendleton