Summer Solstice

It's Summer Solstice time.   Seems early this year, but so does everything else!   We had some serious rainfall earlier this year, and many areas still have more water sitting than usual, including us.    

In front of my 
house, there is a low spot, and it was so overflowing, we now had lakefront property!    I was walking my dogs and as the sun set, my really-big-puddle turned magical.   The colors were like sherbert, and the 'pond' was still and almost like a mirror; except where some bug made a ripple.   

I thought for a split second to grab my gear and do a sketch, but the skeeters were so hangry that a few photos would have to do.  

This needed to be bigger for what I had in mind, and I cut a piece of Uart600 and set to just do an underpainting before bed.  

I wanted to try a very 'hot' underpainting as I knew I was doing lots of cooler colors on top.   So I laid in hot oranges, reds, and golds.   I planned to take a photo and go to bed.   Wellll....didn't happen.   I was itching to do this painting for weeks, and thought since the top area was dry already, I'd just try a couple spots.  

Several hours later, I went to bed, almost done.  A few tweaks the next day and I present to you "Summer Solstice", 20x32