Dawn Fishing

“Dawn Fishing” – 11 x 15 watercolor – SOLD

After a landscape or two that were quite giddy with fauve color, here’s one in a quieter more contemplative mood. Fishing friends through the years have told me that dawn and twilight are the best times for fishing. Except, of course if there’s a mid-day hatch of damselflies or something else, and then noon to afternoon is best. I think what they were saying is that any time of day is great if you’re in the mood, the conditions are right and the fish are hungry.

Kind of like painting, I think.

A watercolorist friend of mine says that early morning and early evening are the best times because the colors are most intense. The arc of the midday sun washes the colors out – and unless you want that brilliant bleached out look you’ll find better plein airing at “golden hour.”

Today’s art tip comes from an article by Brian Freeman in Artist Magazine: “Artist Dan Goozee’s advice was that you should stop working when you think you’re about 80 percent done. At that point, he said, you’re actually 90 percent done. Stop before you’re finished. Goozee’s words resonated with me. A big part of art is walking away – then coming back and looking at the work with a fresh eye.”

Or as my wc teacher says – every art kit should come with a guy with a hammer – to hit you on the head when you should stop.