New Painting of a European Country Garden

I’m still working on a series of small painting of the European countryside from sketchbook drawings I did on previous visits. I came upon this scene while taking a walk in the countryside in Switzerland. The vegetable garden was lush and rich, while the flowers added just the touch of color and vibrancy the scene needed. Although the inspiration came from a trip to Switzerland, the scene could really be almost anywhere in the European countryside.

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The painting begins with a small thumbnail sketch to help me determine the overall composition and value relationships.

I am painting on Arches 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper which is stapled to a board and trimmed with tape. After lightly sketching in the outlines with a 4H pencil, I begin by laying in loose washes of color wet in wet.

While preserving the whites in key areas I continue to layer on glazes to identify edges. As I use more drybrush techniques, the objects begin to come into focus.