After a brief freeze, we are back to freakishly warm temperatures and plenty of rain. The swamp is looking great, and water levels at the pond are getting closer to “normal.” I was looking forward to working on more ice paintings, but they will happen soon enough. For now, the glorious blue sky is livening the subdued palette of early December, and I am thrilled to be painting. Details below. Enjoy.

Technical painting notes: I used a roll-up of dark blackish brown paint to indicate the gestures of the reflected trees and their branches, then used transparent glazes to adjust color. This was followed by more detailed brushwork to establish the negative spaces of the sky and cloud reflections. With the basics underway, I switched back to narrower rollers to indicate more branches. I rolled softer tones over some areas to push back and soften some of the reflections. More glazes, followed by detailing the leaves, brought the painting to near completion. Final color adjustments using semi-transparent paint were rolled on, with highlights reestablished with careful brushwork. I find that using the roller to manipulate paint and soften edges works well, and the soft rubber Speedball rollers are great for glazing large areas even if the paint is still slightly tacky.