Watercolor Study 3

I’m continuing efforts to get more familiar with this subject by staying very representational and moving to watercolor for this latest study. The complexity of the exposed root system, on what must have been a mighty double-trunk tree nearly a hundred years ago, is a real challenge for both my skill and patience. Fortunately, sometimes, the results can be rewarding.

For sure there are countless accomplished artists who revel in making microscopic marks with tiny brushes. And they would probably roll their eyes at my definition of detail, and my struggle with it, but I can live with that. Although working through these studies can be an enjoyable process, my goals are beyond portraying exactly what I see at small scale.

If I decide to carry on with these former trees, the “detail” work is valuable regardless of the path I end up following, whether it’s realism or a different, more intuitive direction.