Rock Spring Pond (plein air). 7x5, oil on linen panel. 2015
This small sketch was done in an impressionistic style with a very compressed value range.
It was a humid, overcast day and there was no strong light. To avoid creating a somber mood I keyed the painting off the darks in the trees which I set at a middle value. I worked up into the lighter values from there, adding some color contrasts in a few areas to breathe a bit of life into the scene.