Fireweed Turning Color (#11)
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Watercolor on paper, 11in x 15in
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In summertime, the fireweed plant has the-pinkest-of-pink blossoms that shimmer and are practically florescent in the sunlight, along with a subtle, sturdy green color for its leaves and stems.
But in the autumn, it is the foliage of the fireweed that has the showiest display, in fiery (of course) reds, oranges, yellows, and various shades of chartreuse.
In painting #10, I was unhappy with the mixes I had achieved with a limited palette of three colors, prussian blue, cadmium yellow medium and rose red quinacridone. Today, I added viridian and cadmium red medium to the lineup, and I substituted hansa yellow lemon for the cadmium yellow. Well, what a difference!
Today was a sunny fall day and the light kept moving through the trees, changing the intensities of the colors on the ground even as I was watching them brighten and fade.
Nevertheless, I am happy with what I recorded today. Never satisfied, but happy!
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