74.  Original Plein Air Watercolor Painting, “Plein Air, Sunset over I-5 and U-Bridge from Fritz Hedges Park, with two geese, 7:10-7:45pm, 4.10.24”, watercolor, 30 x 42”, 2024

Location: Seattle, WA

This painting was made on the shore of Portage Bay, after dinner at one of my longtime favorite Seattle haunts, Agua Verde Café.  The sunset in the springtime haze behind the University Bridge and the I-5 Bridge was exceptionally beautiful. I had had no intention of painting that evening, but did have all my painting supplies in the car.  A few geese made their foreground appearance, as well as a yacht tied to a pier.  This painting was made very quickly, in about 35 minutes, so much of the effect is from the watercolor still being wet on the paper as I worked in, light to dark.  I wanted to let the structure of the larger I-5 bridge especially to be lost in the glare, which is as it appears on these brilliant spring evenings in Seattle.  The waves in the foreground had such crisp edges to their reflections.  This would be one of the last plein air paintings I'd make in Seattle before heading off for Art Tour 2024.