The Art of the Garden

It was hard to get into it again having left it for a month.  But here it is done, I know it could be improved but I don't think I'm capable of anything better.  Now to move on to my Virtual Holiday in Malta.

Been on a bit of a break, now back to my attempt at my garden Van Gogh style.  Using acrylics again and finding it hard to get going after leaving it. But for what it's worth, here's what I've done so far.

Still dithering about with the patchwork garden. Trouble is, I don't want to be confined, so this is a leading out to an open space project, testing different surfaces with neocolor. My palette is woefully limited (10 crayons). I just discovered that a wider range costs an absolute fortune. It's a worthwhile investment, but I shall have to wait for 'the cheque in the post' before I can splash out. In the meantime, these experiments. I shall try watercolour and acrylic next, maybe pastels.

This is what I’ve ended up with. How well I kept to the brief is debatable. Have used texture but there is no Monet for sure. Buddha has driven me mad, first too light then too dark. No enlightenment as to what to do.

There's something about starting a watercolour that I find really inhibiting! That fresh sheet of paper; knowing how hard/impossible it is to remedy the bits I don't like; the fact that it dries lighter than intended etc.. The quick version that I did in my sketch book seems, to me, better than this painting that took more like 2 or 3 hours.

I haven't started my "holiday" yet but I did do the sketch without taking my pencil off the sheet.

The patchwork concept is helpful.  Influences are, perhaps, Hitchens for each focus area and Dufy for drawing in paint.

My wife  looked at my photo's taken when planning my previous garden painting and said that I should do something else based on one of then. The result is this oil pastel sketch/painting on A4 pastel paper. ( I added some oil paint to the white flowers).  This was much easier and quicker to do than my previous oil painting but perhaps necessary  to go through that effort/concentration/ study first ........ ?? 

I started fiddling so I stopped not sure if it's a bit flat or if I should add more detail.

Klimt work seemed to be a load of marks I tried to keep to this and the colours.

This is in acrylic and features patches of my garden but not necessarily in the right places .. a bit like Eric Morecambe playing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order! I wanted to use the ideas I had gained from Emil Nolde, big bold flowers, but seem to have ended up with a cross between that and canalware art roses.  I think I have overworked several parts and it started to look “muddied” so have called a halt.

Watercolour sketch done,  not sure about the path, tried to get a South of France pink. Palette based on our garden which has many shades of green with hints of colour here and there.

This is painted in water mixable oils on a canvas board 30/40 cm.

I have tried to be influenced by some of Bonnard's  garden paintings when he was at Le Cannet near Cannes when painting our back garden (plus dog). I have picked up on some of his Mediterranean colours and managed to  limit my normal use of burnt umber etc. It was a struggle to get anything much of his style into my painting but perhaps it has resulted in a slightly looser painting style. 

My Patchwork Garden, or Through the Courtyard, is pastiche of plants and features of my garden. I rather liked Monet's The Garden Gate and thought to do something like that.
I tried various shapes but settled on a portrait view to give depth. After several pen sketches I have a final design, although the colour blocks may move. 
I thought in the style of Klimt might suit its eclectic mix although to try it in Van Gogh style with a South of France palette might be fun, I'm not really decided. Also still thinking which medium to use, so it'll be a while before I finish.  In the meantime if anyone has any thoughts....

I based my technique Klimt's garden. The elements can all be found in my garden but not necessarily in the right place. I have used gouache on textured plaster. I am happy with some areas but not others but I did enjoy doing it. I hope the pic is the right way round when I post it.

(Edited by Alice Davies - original submission Tuesday, 30 June 2020, 4:18 PM)

Half round shape picture and loads of stuff crammed in Klimt style

For once, I really enjoyed doing a watercolour! I did it in 30 mins, using the colours that were already on my palette.

After a few try outs I settled on this. A very rough plan. Area with question mark is still being considered. I am hoping when I start working on the final piece inspiration will fall from the sky! I intend on painting on textured plaster spreading it in different directions to create some movement. Will use layers of colour.