Flowers around the cabin

On the last day at The Clearing I finished my journal entry featuring our cabin.  The inside of the log cabin was nicely finished, with built-in wooden desks, shelves and cupboards.  The beds had matching quilts, handmade by others who came to the Clearing before us.  The walls had photographs and paintings of the Clearing made by previous students and teachers.

It had been a record heat wave, but a breeze blew through the open window and screen door.  During the day I could hear the laughter of fellow students, and at night the sound of thunder and rain.  The cabin was a warm and inviting place to rest.

Relatives of the flower I sketched on first day filed the foreground of this sketch.  I used my Niji flat watercolor brush loaded with mixtures of pigment for this sketch.  I left a space for some text on the left side of the page but haven't yet decided what to add.  I also have thought about extending the log wall as a light wash behind the flowers.

Lessons from this weeks class:

• Simplify;  Use your mental back hoe to remove things
• Re-arrange;  Use your mental sky hook to move the clouds
• Use a limited Palate
• Use lots of pigment;  The paint dries 20% lighter
• Look for the light and shadow
• Sit in the shade when outside
• Sketch quickly;  You can fix it when you apply the ink
• Take reference photos;  Meaning more than just one
• Its just a sketch;  More then anything else enjoy doing it!