more temperature mapping and amazing sight

9x9 pastel

 Having an intention when you paint is the most important thing. In plein air it's often the most ignored thing. You have to take time to think rather than paint.
Today I went back to one of my favorite places with the intention of getting glow from temperature mapping and layering. I began with a watercolor underpainting in which I determined a loose warm and cool large sections.

watercolor underpainting

Looser is better when you are doing an underpainting. This way you can carve out shapes in a subtractive way. Never drawing or painting things, instead  look carefully for value/temperature shapes. I know I can draw it and because of that I can carve with ease. Before my brush hit the board I had a full visualization of my painting.

One interesting story, completely off subject. I have been out in the woods and at the river since I was a young child, but I have never seen what I saw today. Floating downstream was a shape...well sort of a shape. It kept changing shape- an appendage here and then it was in a new place. I couldn't figure out what it was. Because of that I could not dismiss it, I needed to know. As the shape got closer I could finally see. Wow! It was two snapping turtles holding tight to each other, making babies! Finally they arrived at the white water. I thought that was the end....but no! They just held tighter and weathered the rapids. They continued the deed and kept floating.
Hmmmmm. Happy Mother's Day! 
Nature is amazing!