Summer by the pond - progression

Another step by step from my latest painting. The reference photo is from a pond in New Hampshire. It's a place very dear to my mother-in-law's sister, since she lives by it ).

I forgot to take a pic of the drawing oops! So this is the underpainting done with nupastels (hard pastels)

After an alcohol wash applied with a brush... I was a bit worried that it was too dark at first.

You can see here some of the dry pastel applied over the now dry alcohol underpainting.

The struggle with the foreground was real. I didn't want it to be important but at the same time there was this big shade area that seemed too big to leave lose. Here is my first attempt to it. 

You can see here how I reworked the foreground to make it a bit more interesting and trying not to take away from the little house and the sunshine.

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