More cherry trees!

It was a glorious day here today, 70 degrees and sunny, but the wind picked up, and our cherry trees started to shed blossoms.  A dozen blossoms fell onto my canvas as I painted.  (I picked them all off.  I don't think they're archival.)  The falling blossoms mean we'll be past "peak" bloom in a day or two, if not already.  So all the more reason to paint them again! 

It was especially fun today because I got to try out a new batch of gorgeous brushes from Rosemary, which are hand-made in England and yet reasonably priced.  Also, I painted larger than usual: 16" x 20."  I thought it turned out pretty well!

Geoff Watson, "Cherries and bushes," oil on canvas panel, 16" x 20," 2018.

Revisiting Cabin John Woods

It was relatively warm today, so I paid another visit to Cabin John Park in Bethesda, Maryland. I painted a scene like this about seven weeks ago, in warm afternoon light. Today there was some sun, but it was not as intense, and the woods seemed more subdued. I painted this quickly; it took about two hours.

Geoff Watson, “Cabin John Woods in January,” oil on linen, 12” x 24,” 2018.

Here’s what I did in December. Not quite the same vantage point, and different light.

Geoff Watson, “Cabin John Woods in December,” oil on linen, 12” x 24,” 2017. 

On the Potomac

I paid another visit to the Potomac River today. It was a partly cloudy, sultry sort of day, but it was still beautiful. A boater rowed right in front of me, and he asked if he could be in my painting. I am happy I was able to accommodate him!

Geoff Watson, "On the Potomac," oil on panel, 8" x 10," 2017.

Towpath

This is the towpath, the dirt road along the C&O Canal in Maryland. In its heyday, the canal operated boats pulled by mules, which towed the boats. (I've depicted one of the boats in an earlier blog post, "Waiting for the Mules.") But here I was most interested in the curious question-mark-shaped foliage at the end of the path, so I tried to focus attention there. I also liked the canopy of branches above the path, not to mention the hints of fall colors.

Geoff Watson, Towpath," oil on panel, 8" x 10," 2017.

Woodacres

I set up at Woodacres Park in Bethesda, hoping to paint the baseball backstop and fence, which were framed nicely by trees behind them. But time was short, so I settled for a quick study of the trees and resolved to paint the baseball diamond on another visit. 

Geoff Watson, "Woodacres," oil on panel, 8" x 10," 2017.

Small falls on the Potomac

Today is my birthday, and it was a glorious day of warm sunshine here in the D.C. area. I celebrated by spending the day painting a bend in the Potomac River. 

Geoff Watson, "Small Waterfalls on the Potomac," oil on panel, 8" x 10", 2017.