Sunday, January 13, 2008


Study of young oaks with spring running down a trail.

After our recent rains and severe winds in Northern California the hills are saturated with moisture and will provide for a robust springtime. I opted for a monochromatic study in browns and grays on Fabriano/ Artistico traditional white cotton paper. 12" x 18" is roughly the size of this gouache/watercolor. I had to work fast for the almost impossible capture of detail and shifting light. I was interested in the sweeping S curve and the small cliffs catching light in the background. Working in black and white reminds of the old newspaper illustrations from the turn of the century (1900). I was also thinking about Ruisdael again with his large tree drawings approached with grays washes.

15 comments:

Brian said...

WOW! That is just stunning. Very dramatic.

Brian

Sven said...

i am impressed! i like how you make it look so easy. thanks for sharing

Erwin Madrid said...

Beautiful brush work! I like how you captured the mood of the day after a big storm.

Ben Mauro said...

so epic. thanks for sharing.

df said...

thanks for the update. Looks fantastic. I love the warm reflection in the lower right.

Anonymous said...

Erik, your work is beautiful as always... and very inspiring. Thanks for the link! I'll be back often to see what's new and explore the work of the artists there in the sidebar...
Thanks,
Claudia

Wayne Porter said...

very inspiring! cheers!

Anonymous said...

That's so cool. I can feel the mood in these. Beauty found even in the unwelcoming parts of nature. That's a goal for me to capture! Thanks, Erik.

René PleinAir said...

u captured the wind from the last couple of days here in the Netherlands extremely well!!

It has a bit of "De Oosterbeekse School."

(btw. I am feed reading you!)

Erik D. Martin said...

man so freakin lovely~! thanks for posting it Erik.

Marcos Mateu said...

Great color palette, convincing atmosphere!

Brian Yam said...

Hey Erik, I've been a big admirer of your work. These are very inspiring!

Unknown said...

Amazing landscapes! You have an incredible sensitivity for mood. Can’t wait for the next post!

sophan said...

amazing as usual!

Linda Blondheim said...

Your work is maazing. Thanks for sharing it. I am just starting to work with gouache and it was great to see a master at his craft.

Linda Blondheim

www.lindablondheimartnotes.blogspot.com