Honey Run Covered Bridge

I began a new painting using a photo I took near a local covered bridge. The bridge is new,  rebuilt after a fire destroyed the old one. "Restoration" will be a working theme for this piece. 

I sketched the scene about 8 times, in different sizes. I needed to figure out where best to place the bridge and other elements.

I will start painting, beginning with an underpainting. I will try to bring up feelings of restoration, rebuilding, and healing as I paint, hoping some of that positive energy transfers to the canvas. 

I used basically two colors for the underpainting. Again, it started to get too fun to keep it simple. Now i have a pretty abstract piece to paint over. 

Next, i will paint an expressive layer that should represent all the important shapes and forms. I will be very forgiving about drawing inaccuracies, as long as i convey a warm, lively mood for the scene.