My homage to Claude Monet and Giverny is all finished! I matched the color of the original bridge and painted it today. I really enjoy personal projects like this where I can build something and make myself smile. Now I can't wait to see my water lily blossom underneath!
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Some new additions to our garden and some plants that reminds me of my time last summer in Monet's garden. The new additions are from Rohsler's Nursery in Allendale, N.J. Our first new addition is a water lily; the variety is called Madame Wilfron Gonnere. I'm using an old smelting cauldron that has been on the property for a very long time and it works perfectly. I had to plug a small hole, but it's watertight now. The next addition is a row of irises in a variety of colors, alternating blue, orange, deep purple and yellow; these are all complementary colors and I can't wait to see them bloom. Irises are my favorite flower and I'm excited to have them to paint at my convenience. We're doing our flowerpots in the front with annuals (petunias, marigolds, snapdragons, alyssum, zinnia, dianthus, etc.). I have found painting inspiration in these pots for many years. The pots are being shared with some tomatoes and cucumbers which my student generously gave to me (thank you Kelly!). The backyard now has some cosmos, foxgloves, lilies and I'm waiting for hollyhocks to arrive at the garden center. We also planted a new peony which has a beautiful coral color. I've always loved plants and my time last summer in Monet's garden really made me want to learn more. I learned a lot from the gardening team in Giverny and it's nice to have some plants that remind me of my time over there. My other motivation is to have my own garden to paint in. As a painter, nature is my inspiration so I can't wait to see these plants take root and blossom as the summer begins! Water Lilies Irises *Currently waiting for more colors to bloom. Azaleas, Strawberry Foxglove, Hanging Ivy Geranium, Lilies, Cosmos, Peony, Annuals, Etc. I planted some irises a few weeks ago and my first one just bloomed! Irises are favorite flower and I really fell in love with them when I was in Monet's garden last summer. I can never capture the beauty in a photo so I'll be painting and sketching these as the spring continues.
My birthday is also coming up so I'm planning to go to the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair which opens on May 11th. I've never been there before so I reached out and asked if they allow painting, which they do so I'll definitely be painting there. The weather has been a bit cooler the past few days so it's been easier to be outside painting and moving around. I'm working on a few larger pieces and they've given me real sense of freedom. One of them is an evening scene of the pond which I'm working on in the studio. I did an oil sketch beforehand and I'm usually committed to working en plein air, but the size of this canvas makes it really difficult to manage. The sun is an issue since my umbrella only shades a portion of the canvas; the wind can be a big problem too since a canvas is essentially like a large sail that can catch the wind. I am working on a morning pond scene entirely en plein air because it's small enough that I can handle it. I'm really getting accustomed to these larger sizes and am planning more to come. Some new flowers are being planted in the garden and they're really very colorful. I sketch a lot in the evening and it's great to just sit and appreciate the different shapes and colors. I can recognize many of the varieties, but some are new to me and I've been having fun studying them. Currently on the easel: |
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