Dunes revisted

So a couple of days ago I decided to start adding landscape elements together in watercolor again. This painting is based off a photo from the dunes paint out. I thought it was already a strong composition although now I have noticed a few things I would like to change about the layout. The biggest change I would make is the large mound and pine tree. They should be moved further down the hillside starting right where the background trees end. The foreground trees should be better defined but that's for another painting. As far as what I like about the painting, the sky is one of my favorites. Skies in watercolor can range from a simple wash to a complex series of clouds. This sky is of a sunset which I have rarely done and it turned out surprisingly well. It has a subtle gradation change and the clouds are slightly darker in value which is typically not the case during any other time of the day. The grasses are another area of interest. When a person thinks of painting grass it sounds simple and easy. It just so happens that grasses are one of the toughest things for me to paint right now. So this painting has given me a couple of ideas on other landscape elements that I need to spend some time practicing. After this painting I need to work on trees as well.

Overall I like the effect of the painting and it is fairly successful of what I was trying to show. It has the warms in the left and it quickly becomes cooler as you move to the right. The warm colors draw you in and then you begin to wonder into the cooler areas. It reminds me of my time at the dunes. It was beautiful and exotic for being in Indiana. The warm sands and lake sunset initially caught my attention but it was the trees, grass, and hills that kept calling me. Typically that warm feeling draws people together and that is where they congregate which is wonderful but eventually people seek to venture out alone for that solitary place where mysteries are waiting. I'm thankful painting allows me the time to seek out these places and ideas. With time I will become better at showing them and perhaps it will be something that others can relate to.