Beach at Rocky Rest

On By Margaret Parker BrownIn art, Landscape painting, plein air, Sierra Co. California, watercolor, Yuba River
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Painting #1 on Saunders 200#  7 x 9 inches

I thought while I was at the river hanging out with my youngest daughter and her dog, Alonzo I would paint. Surprising idea, huh? I forgot my camera, no photos with this plein air session. (What?!!) I am wondering if the simplistic look is sufficient or should I give some texture to the river and the embankment? Does this painting look finished to you?

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Painting #2 on Arches 140# rough 7 x 9 inches

This painting is a failure I believe but including it in my post. I do believe that I got a good start on the foliage of the tree and the trunk but failed in that I have a dominate branch leading the eye out of the painting. I lost definition of the rocks in the foreground and the shapes of the shadows aren’t delineated from the foreground. I decided not to finish the bottom part of the painting which included the river and it actually isn’t shown in this photo.

Learning Points:

  • Success with a painting sometimes is a hit or miss and that’s alright, enjoy it when it happens.
  • That’s all folks….for now!

46 thoughts on “Beach at Rocky Rest”

    1. Yes…..I did call it a fail because of that reason and it was actually what I saw….in fact there were several of that drooping branches from other trees as well. Sometimes I go with what I see rather than what is best for the painting….lol….something I am still reminding myself of but think of later.

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  3. dawnmarie

    Can’t tell if you are askin if the first one looks finished? If you are, I think it is. Looks like an abstract with lighted bushes above a river to me. I don’t think it needs anything else. Sometimes simple is nice and the colors are nice and simple. The second one, I thought the light in the leaves are nice and the branch that you don’t like…hehe…can’t you just hang a swing from it? Or put a bush in front of it? I don’t know how water color works and if you can just add stuff or not like that. Either way,whatever..There is always tomorrow and more paintings to be done.

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      1. dawnmarie

        I hear ya. The first painting though, I was looking at it again, and I don’t think it is all that simple, where my eyes go anyway, which is to the light and down to the reflections in the water or vice versa..

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  4. wow, I do like #2 – yup!!!
    And it is soooooo easy to fix 🙂
    go around the borders, the papers perimeters and where there is a strong dark hard edge that leads out…. just dampen it abit, Pause/wait 60 seconds. then, press folded tissue down firm to remove the too dark area.
    voila. and its a GREAT Painting Margaret!!! 🙂

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  5. Love your rich colors in your paintings, Margaret! The blues next to the golds – WOWZA! I understand about those failed paintings… some paintings do turn out better than others. I figure I learn how NOT to do it when that happens. However, I do try to think of my paintings as experiments so that I’m not so disappointed when things don’t go as planned. 😉

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  6. The first one is great, seems finished, and abstract. As for the second, if the branch was at that angle, then it was at that angle, and your painting represents that. But you’re in charge, and if you change it as an artist, then fair enough! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. thank you! I have been thinking back to the scene of the crime and what was happening with that branch, there was a group of oaks behind that tree and that branch was stealing the show and was not from the main tree…..dang….it was like the branch was saying “hey look at me! paint me!” I should have had restraint and left that branch out. Yes, artist license was not in tact and I was swayed with a good looking branch. See, I have a little storytelling streak in me too 😉

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  8. I think the first painting is finished. Simple is always more in my book. The mix of blues and yellow gold is divine. Also, painting failures as we always call them are learning curves that only strengthen our conviction to go on and be better. The second painting maybe be charged in the miss section of the hit and miss equation. Still, I think you can still revive it. I just don’t know how but I believe you can. Go Margaret!

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    1. Thank you for your vote of confidence….anymore I do believe watercolor can be revive, if not the whites, think outside the box and do something with that lack of white. I love going less than too much in a painting, leaves more for the viewer to fill in and that to me is exciting. 🙂 thank you for your comments, they mean a lot to me.

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  12. Great abstraction in Painting #1. I think it is courageous of you to include a painting you regard as a failure, but also wise, because in a few years you will be a famous painter and will be able to look back and see the fascinating road you have taken to get there, warts and all.

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    1. thank you Fritz…..but certainly you jest, famous! ha….now you have made me laugh. It is hard for a perfectionist such as myself to include a failed painting but I think it helps to knock down that self imposed wall of “ready to jump on board pride” or the self admiration that goes along with being a perfectionist, that is when it goes well. When it doesn’t, life in hell for a few days! Including a failed painting is my two steps forward, one step back, keeping it real. 🙂

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  13. Margaret that first painting is perfect, I wouldn’t change one speck of it. I see trees with low-lying mist with some light peeking in and the gorgeous river below. I really love it, it’s one of my favorites of yours. Love the colors too. This one glows for me. Well done my friend! 💜

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    1. aww…..thank you Laura! I was busy talking with my daughter while I painted it and I always thought to paint well or at least decent, one has to concentrate very hard, nope! I love it as well, this is the kind of paintings I want to paint, with atmosphere and feeling and less than, not more. 🙂

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  14. I like the spontaneity of both these images….the bottom one – minus the left hand straight branch – is really beautiful. To me it says everything with so little….To do several quick studies of the same scene – could become like meditation.. Hope you are enjoying a lovely weekend, and getting to do a much painting….janet:)

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