Snowy Golf Course Paint Out

Golf Course Parking Lot

Here at the coast there is not much snow left on the ground and the clouds are locked in over us.   The morning weather promised sun  - for inland areas.   We set out to find snow and sun; we found it at a golf course about ten miles away from the ocean.      The parking lot snow piles and the car providde a wind block and although somewhat cold it was beautiful and invigorating.  

Snowy Golf Course - Stage One

 The scene I chose had a distant tree line, a snow covered golf holes, a small frozen pond, nearside snow covered shore and finally, in the foreground, a grouping of trees and vines.   My canvas had a green, gold and brownish underpainting.   I began by painting the sky and snow with a large brush, leaving the shapes of the trees unpainted.





Snowy Golf Course

In the span of only two hours, the local colors changed quite a bit.   At the start, the frozen pond had been a light slate blue and the tree shadows on the snow were light bluish grey.   Gradually the pond and the shadows got darker and more pronounced and actually got very close in color - dark slate blue.   I liked the latter colors because of the greater contrast so tried to match those darker shadow values.

Here is the painting at the end of the paint out.  At least two more changes are needed, 1) convey receding distance of the trees with lighter values,  2) soften all but focal edges.     Once I complete it, the finished painting will be on my website in the "Plein Air" folder.