An enjoyable day's painting

Had a most enjoyable day today painting.  A friend came round and we spent the morning in companionable near-silence, each painting watercolour landscapes from photographs, pausing only to fuel our creativity with tea and rock cakes.  I chose a bridge from my favourite place, Glentanar.  I liked the way the  diagonal line of the stone parapet leads your eye into the picture and I liked the shadows of the trees on the ground.

I did a pencil sketch first to try out the tones.  I think it helped me plan the composition of the picture.

Here is the original photograph, which I took a week or two ago during a walk in Glentanar:

I am really enjoying setting aside a regular time to paint.  If I were on my own, I would get distracted and bogged down in domestic tasks.  It is such a joy to lose myself in painting and very interesting to see my companion's work and compare our styles and approaches.  It's good to have someone to talk art with, someone who shares my enthusiasm.