Winter Spirit coming

Winter Spirit coming, 11"x15" watercolor and colored pencils

I had just completed, or so I think, this little piece. I had lot of fun with it, as it evolved slowly. Mostly, 

I was really intrigued by the contrast of temperature and thus the title. The hot and the cold contrasts of day and night temperatures, the vegetation changing in appearance, the slow shutting down of vital functions I am witnessing as Autumn progresses, all speak of winter arriving. I am finding lot of beauty in this transition. Creating this piece got me to really appreciate the vitality that continues even through the dark and cold months to come.

Here is a progression of this piece:

The Eye of Spirit immanent and transcendent, question of point of view

Playing with shapes and glazes, initially, I had come to an interesting problem of wanting to have more capacity to work the colors in opaque, layering way. I did not know how to achieve an overlay with watercolors and so I used color pencils first. Because the paper had some texture (Arches CP 140 lb), The pencil did not work the way I envisioned. Luckily, I have a set of Conte pastel pencils and so I used them. I got a better result and was still able to preserve the watercolor effects.

Above, "Eye of Spirit immanent, the "I" of new life within the universal womb of life: the endless potentiality to be birthed, is the Spirit embodied. If I turn it around, then it evokes for me the "Eye of Spirit transcendent", the unseen, the intuited realm of being. Both are One appearing as two. Yet only the point of view is shifted.

Late summer grove: completed

14" x 21" watercolor and colored pencil

I think that for now I am done. I used color pencils in the "grove area, to sharpen up contrasts in the red and blue areas and to define the trunks a little more. I do have difficulty with capturing the colors of the painting in their true appearance. The process of the painting has been valuable, as I want to touch into what is it exactly that drives the energy of laying colors. What is it that I love about it? I am aware of one quality I love: discovery.

Here are the previous photos of work in progress: