River Rocks and Driftwood - Original oil on paper study

Painting the complex light effects of water is always a fun challenge. I wanted to capture the overall colors and shapes without getting too caught up in detail. This was a way of practicing mixing colors and putting them together to replicate the shimmering glowing light of this river landscape detail. I was particularly drawn to the golden light illuminating the water. I chose to paint it on primed mid blue paper because I felt it would create an interesting counterpoint to the golden ochre. This was a really quick study, but I liked the way it came out.