May 22, 2011

    Today's sketch is actually a first stage under-painting done in acrylics. When I began, it was late afternoon and pleasant outside. I wasn't sure how far I would get before the light faded since it has been overcast lately. 
    It wasn't too long before the mosquitoes found me. They weren't half as bad as the "no-see-ums" though! In case you aren't familiar with them, they are extremely tiny (almost invisible) gnats that have a stinging bite. Frankly, a great deal of what you see here was very rushed, which is fine for a partial under-painting. The "artistic process" was to try to use up all the paint as fast as possible so I could go inside! 
    The pond isn't producing mosquitoes because it has "dunks" to prevent them from maturing. The problem was that someone had turned an old bird bath over, and it was a veritable mosquito factory when I discovered it hidden under some greenery. It will take a few days for these to move on or die off... the no-see-ums though are a mystery and unusual for our yard.