I’m constantly amazed by how light *completely* changes a scene over the course of a day, muting some details and sharply illuminating others, blasting away all color and depth under midday sun, then reversing course into the warmth of sunset. Here are two quick watercolor sketches of the view from my studio in the Ellen Allan Learning Center, looking east over the bottom edge of marshy grasslands that form Rynearson Pond #1. One is painted at dawn — the other at dusk. Might as well be looking in different directions, or miles apart! The oak leaves have burned up most of their color now, and are fading to dry brown. The jack and white pines are shedding their old yellow needles, which carpet the ground (we sometimes forget that “evergreens” do this).

Dawn

Dusk

By contrast with the vivid lighting of the woods, the view looking northeast from my studio windows is completely different: grassy wetlands and slough. Many shades of umber, amber, rouge, wheat, pale cadmium, etc. The view over is far more subtle, especially midday.