Along the Old Post Road

Yesterday was warm and sunny for November, so Jeanette and I set up our sketching stools along the old post road in Red Hook, New York.

I was attracted to the craggy old sugar maple tree and how it cast soft shadows on the whitewashed side of the old house. The tree and house looked like bones bleaching in the morning sun. As I painted, the wind scattered the brittle leaves across the ground and the fleeting shadows drifted across the wall, making the house seem even more permanent by contrast.

Speaking of permanence and change, here's what the house looked like in 1936. It's known as the Martin homestead, built in the year of our country's founding in 1776.  

Here's how the painting looked in its foundational stages. My goal at this point was to paint some warm tone around the outside of the picture to bring out the whiteness of the wall. Then I wet the wall's surface so that I could drop those shadow colors.

After that we went to our favorite diner, which was full of veterans who had just finished dedicating a new monument in the town's park.
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Tools: Schmincke Watercolor Pocket Set , Caran D'Ache watercolor pencils, Moleskine Watercolor Notebook, and various sizes of flat watercolor brushes. Some of the rough textures come from Caran d'Ache Water Soluble Pastels

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Martin Homestead, Red Hook, NY
Previous GJ posts from the diner:
American Diner
War Jitters
While Waiting for Lunch
Two Creamers