This time of year the desert comes alive with intense color and new growth. The Joshua Trees will bloom soon with a huge ball of off white artichoke shape floweret. The brush, in a variety of sizes, comes alive with a carpet of yellow flowers cascading to the ground. The twelve inch purple nubs trying to be noticed along a pathway of ruts and stones. I find it interesting how nature will team yellow flowers with its complement of purple nubs. Even the sizes are varied to excite the eye. Nature!
My on location painting gear is ready, soon I will take the soft top off my Jeep. Oops! I might be rushing this a little. March will bless us with rain. Okay, I won't take the top off the Jeep yet!
I use a view finder in gray color to locate my next visual story. The gray color is #5 middle value. This helps me with painting light or dark values. On location with the sun and glare, I find I can't tell with accuracy the values of how light or how dark to paint. Looking through the gray view finder I can SEE the values by comparing lighter than #5 or darker than #5.
Have you used a view finder?
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Barbara Parish ~ Southern California Watercolor Landscape Painter
