November Along the Potomac

November Along the Potomac, watercolor, 10"h x 14"w.

The watercolor painting above started as another demo in my current class on watercolor landscapes. This photo was taken a number of years ago at the same spot as another landscape I posted here recently: "River Bend."

The photo from which "River Bend" was drawn was taken in late spring, when the foliage was green and lush and the waterline lower. The cloudy day suffused that scene with a soft glow of grayish-green light. I went back to the same spot in early November of the same year, after many of the leaves had come down. The afternoon was bright and clear, the golden glow of the sun low on the horizon, as it is in shorter days of fall and winter, and the color scheme completely different: shades of golds and blues.

The challenge in this painting was dealing with the expanse of water--the colors and shadows in the reflections, and the contrast with the land masses in the fore and back areas. As is my custom, I painted the sky first, to establish the lightest values, and gradually worked downwards from the backdrop of  trees in the distance towards the shadowy foreground.

The water was painted all at one time, adding the colors of the reflections, moving them around, and lifting the lights with a brush before the paper dried. After the water was completely dry, I added the darkest details of the rocks and branches. I hope it conveys the lyrical mood of the scene.

Orchid Opening

Orchid Bud begins to open

Yesterday morning I noticed that one of my orchids which had developed a booming spike had started to open. I bought this orchid years ago at a roadside stand in Florida during one of our trips there--most likely a Brassia/Miltonia/Oncidium/ hybrid. The unfolding of an orchid flower is such an amazing sight, I recorded its progress with my phone's camera.

First, the sepals start to lift up, revealing the column and folded labellum inside. Gradually the sepals fold back and the two upper petals unfurl, revealing the burgundy and greenish-white markings.

As the petals fold back, the showy lip (the labellum) begins to emerge, with its white tip still folded like a pointed cap. Amazing how all these structures are all neatly packed into the bud!

Finally, the white tip of the labellum unfurls, revealing its ruffled edges. The flowers may last for up to a month, depending on the growing conditions. I'll now move it to our bathroom where the humidity will help it last longer. I find it useful to periodically move my orchids to different locations around the house--the higher light levels at some windows can stimulate the orchids into blooming. I've yet to coax blooms from my Cattleyas, I'm hoping for better luck this year--maybe even try putting them outdoors this summer if I can find a suitable spot.

February Gold daffodils

Outdoors, the sequence of early spring flowers begins--this week the February Gold daffodils and purple crocuses were out in force on warm afternoons.