After dinner painting

Wilkins’ Home at Christmastime, 7x9 ½ watercolor

I have asked myself why in the winter I do fewer plein air watercolors. Can’t answer that. An oil painting generally takes longer. Since I get out there with little hesitation to do oil paintings in winter months, the misery of standing out in the cold is not a good alibi. Maybe it’s because winter colors tend to be more somber, and my watercolors are more whimsical in their approach.

Nonetheless, I managed to get one watercolor done after dinner yesterday. I went to this house thinking I’d paint the giant turkey balloon I’d seen in the yard. What I found instead were Christmas trees, Core Sound Christmas trees — lots of them. The entire extended family was out in the yard, each family member with their own tree. Several rows of trees, representing the different generations of family, were positioned. I was told by one of the family members that this is a Thanksgiving ritual and now a family tradition.