There are times when I almost can’t believe the day is real, as if all the best of something magical has landed at my feet and I’m afraid to look too closely for fear it will disappear. One White Cloud is from such a day. I thought I would be painting a woodland pond filled with dark tree reflections and an overcast sky, but going to the studio I happened upon a blue sky, wildflowers, and one innocent white cloud reflected in the pond. That changed everything, and this painting resulted. You never know……enjoy. Details below.

Technical painting notes: I used a roll-up of dark greenish black, thinned oil paint for a base, then wiped and scraped away paint to reveal the basic patterns of light and dark. When this layer was dry, I glazed some color and, while the glaze was wet, began defining more detail. The painting proceeded by alternating detailed brush painting with the use of a roller to subdue areas and smudge edges. Some patterns of reflection were completely the result of “dancing” the soft rubber roller over the surface.