Tea House and Pond

Teahouse and Pond
Watercolor on paper
8"x10"
Chris Breier © 2016

This painting is from the same trip that I mentioned in my previous post about the watercolor titled "Porch". This was the first painting that I worked when we arrived at Sonnenberg Gardens. After viewing the Japanese Tea House from a variety of angles I felt the best view was from on top of a hill in front of the pond. I set my tripod and paintbox on the hill, and it was a precarious situation. The ground was uneven and there were tree roots to contend with. If I wasn't careful I could knock my tripod and painting into the pond! I also had a bug trying to bite my leg within the first five minutes of setting up.

Sonnenberg Mansion

Sonenberg Mansion
Acrylic on paper
8” x 10”
Chris Breier © 2013

The original painting is available.
This was the first picture that I took when I arrived at Sonnenberg Gardens. Only a small portion of the Mansion is visible in the painting and I like how that creates intrigue–it makes me interested in climbing the stairs to see what’s on the other side of the wall. The sidewalk and stone wall also direct your eye to the focal point of the painting.

Arbor

Arbor
Acrylic on paper
8” x 10”
Chris Breier © 2013

The original painting is available.
The Old Fashioned Gardens are located behind the Mansion at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY. The white arbor runs the length of the gravel pathway, making it the centerpiece of the garden.

What made this image difficult to paint is that it’s made up of many small patches of colors, there aren’t any large shapes of solid color that can be quickly painted in. I handled the complicated shadow pattern by painting the color of the gravel first and then painting the lines of the shadows over it. Any mistakes were corrected by working back over the shadows with the original gravel color. My favorite part of the painting are the tiny red flowers in the distance, they provide some contrast with the abundance of green foliage.

Sonnenberg Gardens, The Belvedere

Sonnenberg Gardens, The Belvedere
Acrylic on paper
8” x 10”
Chris Breier © 2013

The original painting is available.
This painting is from a series of paintings that I completed awhile ago of various locations at Sonnenberg Gardens. The Belvedere Pavilion is where wedding ceremonies and photo shoots take place. The view is of from underneath the pavilion, looking out into the gardens.

I started this painting with a solid layer magenta, some of which is visible in the final painting. In this series I experimented with painting without drawing first, although that means that I worked out the drawing with the paintbrush instead of a pencil.