FOG

Finished sailboat, reflection was painted on with fabric paint...then loons (there is always a pair on this lake) and finally the tulle fog was pinned on.  I will sew it on tomorrow.
Right now I am very late making dinner!  Hope you like it.  Oops!  Just noticed no reflection on the Loons.  Will have to do that before sewing down the fog.  Luckily I have not done that yet.

Pier & Rowboat

The pier is in the water!   It was a challenge but worked out well and got the right angle and perspective which is the most important part.  Opted to paint in the reflection with a wash of fabric paint.

It has all been quilted.   So next comes the focal point which is the white sailboat.  I have it sketched so should be able to work on it tomorrow and place it into the scene.

I enjoy this part so much because  these foreground pieces  unite everything together and it is only until they go in that you begin to feel the emotion of the piece.

Moving Into The Water

 I am slowly moving into the water now.  The shoreline is pretty much finished on the land  and now need to work on the pier soon and then all the reeds and lily pads.

Put in two red twig dogwoods not in the inspiration photo but what is found on the shoreline on this lake.  Need to tone down the leaves on the one on the right but am not concerned about it yet.  Will first see how it plays with the other elements that are yet to come.   Great progress in four hours time.

Next will be some lighter colored reeds and then the pier and the rowboat parked behind it.  This will be difficult as I must get the angles right or it will not work.  It is when you do have to use your math skills and think about angles etc.  In my case that is where I need to mentally prepare myself first and wake up the other side of my brain!

Hope you all are enjoying this so far!  Can you smell the water yet?

Swing

Building the shoreline now.  The swing is in and will be hidden on the bottom by a bush and then grasses so trust me ....it will look so much better as this progresses.  Made another small pine in front of swing.

I must say I am tired today so will quit now and go watch the movie "Gravity".  Rented it along with a pizza this morning.  Then will work again tomorrow.  I am excited to do this shoreline now and get to the water for all that goes on it.  Hope you are enjoying this journey with me as I am in sharing it.

Lac Du Flambeau

 Each summer we rent a house on Bolton Lake located in "The North Woods" on the Native American Ojibwa  Reservation in Lac Du Flaumbeau (Torch Lake) Wisconsin.
I took this photo last year of a lake house owned by an elderly couple.  You do not see much of them but early in the morning or late in the evening they go out in their sailboat and peacefully and quietly tour around the lake after which they dock their boat and return to their home.   Even though the photo was over exposed I saved it to use one day.  Today is that day.  

So I have prepared the background and will start working on the foreground next.  I am excited about working on this piece as it will take me back there early....to the peacefulness of the setting where you can hear the loon calls at night.