TM8348 May Reaches the Pond 22×22 oil on panel

It always seems like spring will never get here, then in just two days, everything is green and blooming. I’m also struck by how red the tree buds are, and how the yellow green of early May is so strident, as if to say “Look! I’m here!”  This view from the Breakheart Reservation, a state park in Saugus, Massachusetts epitomizes the first days of May. Enjoy!

Technical painting notes –  continuing the pond series with techniques borrowed from the monoprint process, I rolled a first layer of paint using a soft rubber brayer, then scraped, wiped and blotted the surface to get a basic composition and forms. I wanted to contrast the softness of the trees with the hard angularity of the ledge, and also figure out a way to suggest trees and shrubs that weren’t in full leaf yet. Below is a detail from the middle right side of the painting, showing a close-up of the shrubby growth.

TM8348 May Reaches the Pond (detail from middle right)