A study in green

Elizabeth Tyler adding the last details to her watercolour.

I've been spending some time on the beach in the early hours of the morning before the sun creates hard contrasts. I love getting really close to my subject when painting watercolours but it's not always possible, and when the wind gets up I usually get wet feet.

In Scandinavia the sea has a completely different colour compared to the bright turquoise and deep ultramarine of the Mediterranean. It's usually a subtle mixture of greys, greens and pale blues here. As a focal point I chose a stone adorned with bright green moss right on the water's edge. The wet moss added an element of vibrancy to the otherwise subdued tones of the sea in the early morning light.

It took several days to paint this subject, so some of the work was done back in the studio. Even though I’m not always able to spend the whole painting session on location I like at least to start and finish the painting there.
 

"Green Sea"  watercolour 34 x 57 cm © Elizabeth Tyler 2012