TM8893 Oh Frivolous Bough, I see You Now 7×7 oil on paper

When I started painting the pond reflections, I was repeatedly confused by the wealth of detail and complexity everywhere I looked. The complexity is still out there, but now I have a means, a way, of working with it. Oh Frivolous Bough, I See You Now is an example. The downed limbs resting in the shallow water form a colorful vertical composition intersected occasionally with delicate reflections of saplings. The mood is quiet yet cheerful – with so much yellow how could it be otherwise? I interwove direct palette knife painting with the use of a soft rubber roller to merge the colors and soften the hard edges. I wanted a tonal approach, as well as bursts of bright color, to capture the gaiety and underlying melancholy of late October. I may try a similar approach with other parts of the surrounding countryside. It felt right.