A River Running Through Autumn

I came upon the scene while traveling through the California Valley, heading up to the Sierras. I saw this beautiful river, running through the golds and yellows of autumn. So I hiked a little closer to get a photo. 

The river was just stunning. The beautiful blue sky was caught in the river’s reflection. I loved how it meandered through the bright yellow grasses that grew all around it. 

The scene worked out so well color wise. I painted it on a solid bright purple background. The areas of purple that I did not paint over, allowed the purple to show through creating a vibration and energy between the brighter yellows. Purple and yellow are complementary colors, so using them I wanted to produce a scene that was in harmony with itself.