Reality wins over Watercolor .. Again

One of my enduring passions is trying to capture some of the incredible colors and shapes that we see at our two neighborhood lakes. So far I have pretty much failed to get the effect I want in any attempt so far, but I think I am getting a bit closer lately. Here is my latest attempt, barely dry, along with a couple of photos of the area that I used as reference. I seem to be getting the best effect by doing an on-the-spot study and a bunch of photos and doing a new painting back at the house where I have room to spread out, and that was what I did here .

I have decided that the real difficulty is that the rocks themselves are of a visual complexity that makes them seem unbelievable even as you stand in front of them. They are sculpture, not geology, with whimsical colors and shapes. I suspect I just may never get it quite right - but I think I know who could. My long time friend and teacher Glen Knowles left me a message just as I was thinking about him and wondering if he would tell me it was time to leave the painting alone - it must be karma!

How about it - is this painting done? I almost can hear Glen saying "Put the brush down, Cathy, and back away from the painting... " (but I want to fiddle with it !) It is quite likely as good as I can acheive. (but it isn't what I wanted, not really.) Ah, the pleasant conflicts of the brush and paint!

These rocks have all these delicate colors and look rather as if they were assembled from the bits left over on God's kitchen table. Then there are the ones with the orange doodle markings, and the big green ones, and the fjord, and the effect of the bathtub ring, and the balancing rock - and that is just at Willow Lake. There are as many great spots or more on the Watson Lake side of 89.

I do love the Dells! Somehow I have to convince Glen and Pam to come over so I can watch a real master of watercolor take on those unbelievable rocks.