This morning I woke up to a very heavy fog, but the temperatures had risen to 46F (7.5C), but that is not expected to last very long as we currently have a wind warning in effect for the area.
Going through my file of started paintings I came across Blue Sky J (see post on 28 October 2012) and thought I would like to use that as the background for a painting of my willow tree at the front of the lawn.
I sketched in two different views of the trunk and main branches of the tree and added a couple of the fence line maple trees into the background.
Using a mix of French ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson I put in the distant hills behind the fence line.
With raw sienna I painted over the blue sky colour on the paper and put in the dead grasses of the lawn.
Adding some Antwerp blue to the colour used for the distant hills, the shadows from the trees were put into the foreground.
For the tree trunk I mixed a dark colour using French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and alizarin crimson and painted in the tree trunks, main branches and many of the smaller branches.
By the time all the smaller branches were painted the background maples were pretty well covered over and I decided not to paint them as I felt they would distract from the weeping willows.
Mixing Antwerp blue and new gamboge I put in the green leaves on the willow trees which would be in shadow.
Adding cadmium yellow to the mix the rest of the leaves were added and lastly with pure cadmium yellow a few of the leaves that were high lit were added into a few areas.
If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.
The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 300lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.
Using a pencil, I lightly drew in the trunk and main branches of the tree. With it being winter they are no longer hidden by the multitude of leaves. 
