Canyon Lake Morning Glow

After a family trip to Canyon Lake AZ I knew I had to try to capture the vast cliff faces and warmth of the late summer weather. But not too warm! So I went with morning sunlight spilling into the canyon. If you look up on the left side of the cliffs you will see three Big Horn sheep making their way down the canyon for a drink of cool water. It was neat to finally see these sheep in person so I wanted to incorporate them into the painting.

Painted with Daniel Smith watercolor paints on stretched Arches cold pressed paper. It took 6 small test paintings to get the colors right for the morning mood before attempting it at the 3 x 4 ft scale. I'm so pleased with the final result!