Blog

A gentle wind blows wispy willow branches, cascading leaves draping, capturing early morning sun, complimented by a rustic old shed.  A vision I wanted to capture and remember for years to come.  

The Weeping Willow tree has been our son Nolan’s favorite since he was a little boy. We planted one in the grasslands behind our home in 2008 when we moved. I’ll always think of him when I see or paint a willow.  The first time I painted this scene was on a local farm during a en plein air pastel workshop. Accomplishing a small scale study in the field that morning.   Just last week I developed another small study in oils to refresh my memory of the morning before rendering this final oil painting back in my studio.

Small scale oil study in studio.

Progress of final oil painting blocking in the local colors and composition.

Progress painting background to foreground.  This painting developed with a limited premixed palette to maintain color harmony throughout the piece.  I enjoyed this process so much I plan on implementing it again!