Hello! Spring of 2024 started with a trip to Descanso Gardens in Tujunga, California. I went there to meet up with my plein air painting group. I also had another mission: a fan of my art said she wanted to buy a painting with flowers in it. Flowers are Descanso Garden’s main draw and a great place to find seasonal blooms.
I found a pathway next to a small creek that was surrounded by trees and flowers. There were azaleas with white, pink, and red flowers. There were also many bushes with pretty little light blue flowers. The sunlight laid across the shaded path and flowers like discarded scraps of fabric. I think it turned out great with all the different colors and the vanishing point creating interest. My patron thought so too and she purchased it right away!
Just in case the shady path painting was not to their liking, I thought I should stay and paint another painting just for insurance. I found some beautiful purple irises blooming and captured them on the canvas. Later, I reworked the background and I am still not sure if it is done or not. Sometimes they end up “works-in-progress”.
The above painting I created en plein air at the Eaton Canyon Park in Alta Dena, California. This park is an important part of the Los Angeles watershed, which takes rainwater from the northern hills down to the ocean. I tried to capture the flow of the creek bed with the mountains in the background. It is hard to capture clear water in a painting and interpret it so that the viewers see it — so if anyone thinks the creek is dry and still likes the painting, that is OK with me.