Plein Air.Day 3.Part 3

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This started as purely watercolor but by the end, I was heavily dipping into the gouache. The darkness of this painting of a European Beech captures the end of that afternoon -- lots of clouds and rain and darkness. The mood got even darker when I got home and learned of the extensive tornado damage that happened that same day elsewhere in my state.
At the end of the Plein Air workshop, my teacher suggested adding some lighter colors for highlights. While painting yesterday, I considered this option but was afraid I would ruin what I had and opted to leave it as is. In just three afternoons, my work had progressed a lot but it will take a lot of continued efforts to consistently put out this quality. Dedication and discipline, it seems to always come down to this.
Check out this photo by Jean-Pol Grandmont of a magnificent European Beech.