I lived two thirds of my life in central Michigan. According to some statistics I have heard, Michigan's percentage of cloudy days is on a par with Seattle. So water is in my DNA. When I wake up and see a white blur out my bedroom window, my heart sings. I live sandwiched between hilly open space trails on the south and a permanent creek on the north. Photos can't capture the depth and luminescence of foggy days so it seems like a great opportunity to sketch the scene. Last week, I woke up to just such a milky day, but the fog was so thick I couldn't see anything past the houses across the street. An hour later, I could at least discern the greenery on the hills. I tried to sketch it in my thin papered journal with ink and wash, but the essence of the fogginess didn't come through.
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| 07/11/19 Foggy morning looking south. Herbin Vert Empire Ink, Krishna MYC custom red ink, De Atramentis Silver Grey ink with water wash on Artist's Loft journal paper. |
This morning I woke again to that wonderful cottony sight and sound. I hurried around trying to get my new watercolor set and inks together to do the back yard before the fog burned off. I still haven't got it. Some of the green inks washed blue! I will figure out how to get the effect of fog on paper, but maybe not this year. We don't have that many foggy mornings. The fog burns off by 7:30am and is an indication of a hotter day to follow.
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| 07/15/19 Foggy morning in back yard. Various inks and watercolor on 140lb Canson XL. |
I love fog, too! So ephemeral, moody, romantic and mysterious. And surprisingly challenging to sketch. I tend to stick with graphite to convey the mystery.
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