The Dutch countryside is often misty during fall and winter so this views are usually dominated by grays. This morning however, the silhouette of the church in Monnickendam was colored in oranges by the rising sun. A windmill would have been probably a more touristic (and expected) background but the fact is that there are more churches than windmills left.
I liked the view very much and decided to paint it in oils. It should have been easy but it wasn’t. I got lost in earth colors and all versions of orange. Also bringing some depth into the mist (where there is actually no depth) was a challenge. Now, after endless layers I still think that my initial version was the best. Not the most accurate, not the best colors but simply the best in representing the feeling. If I could, I would reverse the process. The only thing that is left of the first version is a mobile phone picture.
