Category: Landscape

Perfect Fishing Day

Is there any more southern tradition on a hot summer day than to go fishing on the bank of lake?

I did a lot of composing in this scene: the bridge was actually much further to the left about a half a mile. The bridge that was here was a common overpass, nothing interesting.  I loved the metalwork of this bridge and wanted to include it.

I also made sure to create depth using aerial perspective: the trees in the back are much lighter and bluer than those in the middle and front.

This family was enjoying their afternoon: father, mother and son, fishing together.

Beautiful day in Dahlonega at Lake Zwerner. #watercolorpainting #landscape #mariapeagler

Buy with PayPal

Lavender Collection

lavender collection watercolor
Mini-watercolors in sizes 3×3″ to 5×7″

 

 

I’m a gardener and love herbs: they are easy, bug-resistant and bring so much beauty to my world.

Last week I visited Red Oak Lavender Farm in Dahlonega and relished in their rows and rows of different varieties of lavender.

I’ll be sharing a watercolor I painted of the lavender field soon.

 

#watercolorpainting #5×7 #landscape #mariapeagler

Providence Canyon, Georgia

On our way home from spring break in Florida, we stopped at Providence Canyon State Park, “Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon.” David and Zach waited patiently while I painted this gorgeous scene.

This painting was heavily influenced by my visit two weeks ago to the American Watercolor exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I was able to see John Singer Sargent’s paintings in person.

It changed me.

I stared at his “Muddy Alligators” painting for what seemed like hours. Up close, it looked like any other painting: just strokes of watercolor on paper.

But step back, and the painting transformed into a symphony of lights, darks, brights against muted values.

I live in Georgia, home of the Okeefenokee Swamp, and I’ve seen plenty of gators in my time. I never saw them the way Sargent did.

But that’s changing. The most important skill for an artist is vision: not just in imagining what your art can be, but in actually “seeing” what’s before you.

I’ll be doing a series of paintings based on my Providence Canyon visit, each in a subtly different style.

Buy with PayPal

#watercolorpainting #8×10 #landscape #mariapeagler

Winter’s Sunset

The sunset view from my porch every evening. This small 5×7″ study is one in a series I’m doing during winter when bare branches allow me to see more of the glorious colors.

Watercolor requires a lot of advance planning and perfect timing. I tend to be more spontaneous, so doing small studies lets me practice the wet-in-wet layers, progressing to wet-on-dry. My goal is to do enough studies that the process becomes instinct, so I can be spontaneous.

After 12 years of painting, watercolor still challenges me.

#watercolorpainting #landscape #canoelife #danielsmithwatercolors #mariapeagler

Fall Shade

Fall Shade. This is a little piece of heaven at the Big Canoe marina – one of my favorite spots anytime of the year, but it’s especially beautiful in fall.  The colors are gorgeous and fleeting, as soon the leaves will be gone, leaving a brown mountain behind.

I’ve painted this scene three times before, and each has its own style.

Available. #watercolorpainting #landscape #mariapeagler

Buy with PayPal

Fall’s Fiery Glory

Fall’s Fiery Glory. This is the view from my back porch looking out into the woods. Our trees are vibrant reds, oranges with just a touch a green left. I wanted to capture the patterns of light and shadow on this hillside. We normally have a stream running through the trees, but with the extreme drought it’s disappeared. #watercolorpainting #pleinair #landscape #appalachians #mariapeagler 8×10″on Arches 140lb rough paper. Available.

Buy with PayPal