Happy Mothers Day!

Half Dome Spring - Silver Birches

This is more like a poster design than a traditional watercolor - maybe a railway poster advertising trips to the valley? - I think you can see my training as a commercial artist in this painting. Again I was pleased with the silver birches - I used masking fluid - they look old,  gray and weather beaten!

Nevada Falls from the Panorama Trail

I am a great fan of Tom Killion - he does incredibly atmospheric woodcuts with beautiful detail - and a wonderful sense of design! Even though I am working in watercolor - I always consider the graphic quality of my work. I used masking fluid to create the clouds and water - thinking all the time of a small   woodcut study - keeping my color palette to a minimum. I think I created a watercolor with woodcut simplicity.....I recommend the Panorama Trail in Yosemite to see this beautiful view. We hiked the trail last August and it took all day from Glacier Point - truly memorable experience - couldn't walk the next day - my legs ached so much!

Nasturtium Flowers

Happy Mothers Day to all the 'Mums' in the UK - my Mum passed away 15 years ago - Nasturtiums were her favorite flower - she would plant them and then my Dad would pull them up proclaiming they were weeds! Happy Mothers Day Mum - I miss you every dayx