The watershed of Europe by Kim Sommerschield

Beautiful, Kim. I particularly love the smooth, languid roll of the water. The composition, colours and reflections are all just perfect.

Your geography lesson brings such meaning to this beautiful lake scene. You've captured the calm swell of this lake to perfection. I spent many holidays on the shores of Lago Maggiore and this brings back memories of its early morning stillness. Your palette is "delicious" as always.

Beautifully painted water Kim and your description of the area, together with your superb brushwork, brings your painting alive to those of us who have not been fortunate enough to visit the area.

I agree, a beautiful painting. Fresh colours, great recession, light and reflections. Particularly like the low viewpoint you have chosen; in combination with the size of the foregroud ripple, the spectator gets the feeling they are at water level in a boat or even swimming !

I can only add another 'beautiful' to the above comments Kim.

Languid water beautifully depicted.

Brings back memories for me too, Kim. I used to go to school in Lugano. This is gorgeous - love the brilliant light, the cool languid air and the gorgeous reflections.

Thanks so much. Water's not really in my comfort zone - and this could certainly be much improved upon - but it's a nice challenge, not least when you add some greens to equation just to make the subject particularly uncongenial (for me that is!). It's actually a river (Avie), but looks deceptively broad because of the low perspective Sharon kindly commented on. Sils is where Nietzsche spent many summers walking, writing "Also sprach Zarathustra" and generally cursing humanity...

Why do I comment ? Simply because I like it. Certain paintings stand out and this is no exception. The reflection of the tower in the water is really well done. Also, I like the perspective and the calm, slow moving feel of the water.

How wonderful to see a landscape from you, Kim. And even better as I am currently doing one myself and have hit a wall over what to do with the water in it, so your inspiration couldn't have come at a better moment! It was really interesting reading your description and explanation - these little touches add so much to the viewer's enjoyment of a painting. What strikes me is the wonderful 'wetness' of the water and if that sounds daft, so much painting of water just looks like a colour painted on a page without any feeling that if you jumped into it, you could swim and get wet. Love the way you have carried the greens down from the trees and banks into the river and those patches of ultramarine add so much excitement and depth. I think you can tell I am impressed!

I'm very flattered Thea. Usually when I have to paint water (mostly under duress) I sort of ham it: a splash here, a stroke there, and finish it off by blending it into nothingness. I've found however that when you really concentrate on the waves/ripples/wavelets, patterns emerge that are worth hinting at despite the fact that the 'consciousness' of the exercise seems to contradict the fluidity of the subject. You win some, you lose some...

I like it!

Kim, this just had to be one of yours, such great use of colour and texture, superb movement in this water with superb reflections