“Summer Tree” - watercolor en plein air landscape painting

This piece was done as a demo in July 2026. Most demos, like this one, are time-limited and are done while mentally multitasking. Many don't turn out too well and need refining and adjusting back in the studio. This one didn't require either. The intention was to capture light on a couple of expressively shaped trees in a simple landscape.

This is a larger painting - 15” x 22” or half-sheet in size. It is one part of the recent transition in my work toward different subject matter and at larger scale. The scale difference is a return to roots to some degree. My earliest attempts were generally larger pieces including both half-sheet and even full-sheet (22” x 30”) sizes. Over time, as I transitioned to more en plein air work, my working sizes decreased simply because they are more convenient for plein air paintings, being both easier to transport to the site, and easier to manage once you are painting.

My style and technique have both developed as has the focus of interest has shifted to light and light effects. Along with those developments has come an urge to be freed from the constraints of smaller picture planes!

This painting is one of those recent works that while embraces a more well-worn subject, also represents developments in style, technique and subject focus mentioned above.

This painting is framed to about 21” x 29” and can be seen in my Studio-Gallery.