Early Morning Trees, watercolour on Arches Rough140lb (300gsm), 91⁄2x121⁄2in (24x32cm). When looking into the light, objects become more a collection of silhouettes than clearly defined details and it is essential to choose a subject that tells the story from its shape alone
Through the Trees, Sidmouth, The Village Green, watercolour on Arches Rough 140lb (300gsm), 121⁄2x181⁄2in (32x47cm). In this painting shadows create the contour of the ground and express the form of the trees
Sunlight and shadows add drama! Together they form stark contrasts and it is shadows that reveal form as they rise and fall with every contour. Shadows are where you will find colour, not in the bleached-out areas of sunlight, but in the reflected coolness and warmth of dark purples, reds and greens. Watercolourists often describe themselves as painters of light but it is truer to say that they are painters of the dark, because rendering a dark reveals the light.