Rustic bench and wood pile

Based on some old carvings, the cottage may have been built in the mid 1970's. Some of the original artisanal furniture could be found within and around the cottage like this hand made bench. Its a simple enough shape, with classic curves in the front and arched feet on both sides. Pained a pale green, it really set well into its environment. A few bins were behind it, while the rest of the scene was classic 'Group of Seven' style scenery. Painting the yellow, green and brown undergrowth is tricky with watercolour, it takes some careful control of the paint moisture to get it right.

Rustic bench near lake, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, August  2024

 

Speaking of moisture, this one was painted shortly after the rain, and I had to go paint something else (the hammock painting) while it fully dried. I had practice painting piled logs in the famous sugar shack painting, although this scene was a close up that allowed more textural elements. I started with the earthy yellows and oranges of the log fronts, then layered over the dark elements and shadow effects after it dried. The surroundings were just some quick splashes of yellow green and brown.

Wood pile, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, August  2024