TM8688 Rejoice 36×48 oil on panel

A few early spring-like days and all I can do is rejoice. Sun, warmth, scattered tiny buds on the blueberry bushes  – I even heard a frog plop into the pond. I need to paint with bright colors. I need to paint a fish. Fortunately, I had a pondscape underway at the studio. As I painted, the blue sky turned brighter, the clouds white, and the green leaves started to dance. Soon, I found a fish in the water, then two, then three. This is fun! Details below. Enjoy.

TM8688 Rejoice – detail from left of center with reflected trees and floating vegetation

TM8688 Rejoice – detail from lower right with reflections, fish, and floating duckweed

TM8688 Rejoice – detail from foreground with swimming fish and tree reflections under floating vegetation

Technical painting notes: As usual, I began with a dark blue-black oil paint applied with a soft rubber roller, leaving parts of the panel partially uncovered. I used a plastic bag dipped in solvent to push the paint around. Droplets of solvents tapped off an old brush and blotted created a slight texture. I also wiped out areas where I knew I would want light, re-spritzing  it with solvent. I used a silicone scraper to draw lines for some of the tree branches. When the base layer was dry, I glazed color onto the panel and began detailing the reflections using a soft watercolor brush. layers of glaze alternated with slightly more opaque detailing. I used a watercolor mop brush to apply thin, overlapping glazes. The addition of floating leaves and duckweed enhanced the sense of depth. I glazed a transparent gold tone  in an arc along the lower right to simulate sunlight cutting through the water.