October Sky

 

October Sky

15” x 11”

Watercolor + Colored Pencil

For me, there’s no greater way to spend my birthday than to pack up my watercolors or acrylics and go paint. Early October in Durango is a great time to get out and paint…the summer heat is tamed, the air has a coolness, yet the sun keeps you warm.

I was at an overlook along the Animas River when I painted this, and as you might tell from this sky, we had a storm move in that night that left us with a little snow. 

That day held one of those Colorado skies that I love, with layers upon layers of clouds—fluffy and white contrasting against water-laden bands of purple to the north. Another band of billowy clouds lay nestled between rows of ridges, while the nearby hills still showed hints of green from recent rains. The intense blue of the sky between the layers deepened as the afternoon worked its way toward day’s end.

Starting out as a watercolor, I brought this piece back to the studio and finished it with colored pencil. Don’t tell anyone, (especially the art police), but sometimes you can save a so-so watercolor with the addition of another media.