A painterly outlook

Even though I’ve not put paint to paper yet, my usual research approach to any new subject is paying off already. I’ve read a couple dozen books on watercolor painting, especially landscapes and architecture, and am seeing the world in a different way. As a photographer, I love to take wide views, but also like close-ups of features: farmhouses in their landscape, but also doors, millwork features, windows, etc. And those are useful for references when painting. I usually try to crop out things that aren’t attractive, but for painting, I don’t need to do this. It’s better to get the scene right for a composition, and just don’t include the ugly powerlines or jumble of houses.

The last weekend we spent at the cabin, we took one of our favorite drives, up the canal to Seabeck. As always, I rode with my camera on my lap. There was something about the overcast sky but fairly bright light that made everything so photogenic. I took a few pictures of the cool community center at Holly, just snapshots out the window. These will be good reference pictures. Dave spotted a string of new caches on the Holly Road, one of our favorite little side roads anyway, so we took a detour to go find them. The first was next to an inlet with overhanging trees; the color of the water next to the green trees and bright shore was beautiful, and I took quite a few photos there.

I’ve gotten in the habit of looking at the world through the lens, and choosing my shots that way. That’s how I found my favorite picture of the day: looking west toward the canal through overhanging trees, with misty clouds hiding the Olympics.

The day steadily got more gloomy and rainy, but I still stopped to photograph one of my favorite farmhouses. It's at the turn to the state park, surrounded by grass and trees, at what was once the end of Seabeck Bay. And although you should take architectural pictures on sunny days (because buildings benefit from stronger contrast), I love this view of one of my very favorite farmhouses. This house sat rather forlorn in an open field for years, now it has a fresh coat of paint, and beautiful gardens. This place has the sort of plantings I’d like to have at our farmhouse, including the foundation plantings.
I especially love the curved edging of rock that turns into a dry stone wall, separating the gravel drive from the gardens, the granite boulders that add interest to the border, and the rich colors of the sedum and chrysanthemums.