Joyful Day, Water Over Mountain By Marjorie Glick, Watercolor Painting

On a recent painting trip to Acadia National Park, the idea for the watercolor painting “Joyful Day” (above) was born. Sunlight, clear water, ocean waves, sunshine, and a perfect breeze. Sitting by the ocean, feet in the water, on a perfect rock, and using another nearby rock for a table — I immediately knew that I wanted to paint a large watercolor of this place. Being in this moment was pure joy, and the title came to me while I was sitting there.

The challenge was to choose which aspect and which composition would best describe my experience. I wanted to paint it all but I had to narrow it down.

I was struck by the transparency and activity of the water, the grandeur of the rocks, and the stream flowing into the ocean from the mountains. Acadia is described as where the mountains meet the sea.

To begin, I warmed up with a quick sketch of the rocks — because the color complexity didn’t come through.