plein air, studio, educational and inspirational

"Signs of Spring"

When spring arrives, our morning walk brightens and the lilac trees begin to bloom on Main Street.  This house is concealed from the road, hidden behind a wall of lilac which creates a feeling of secrecy. 

 I find it very helpful to complete color studies and this painting was completed as a study for a larger painting, 18 x 24.  I began with a gouache underpainting, experimenting with color swatches to develop the sense of spring with lilac in bloom and trees only in bud.  Light pastel strokes overlapped the gouache underpainting creating soft edges to heighten the atmosphere.