Lush Summer 2017

Lush Summer pastel Leslie Snider

Lots of recent rain means

 everything is lush and green.

As a landscape painter

 I often use greens

 that are muted

 and subordinate 

to the main features of a picture.

This photo taken along my dog walking trail

captured my imagination 

with it's lively colour and light.

In adapting it for  pastel,

 I chose strong blue greens

rather than the warm yellow greens

 of the photo.

I cropped the photo

 to zoom in on

 a more manageable composition.

With such a complex amount of detail

I did a quick thumbnail

to isolate the main features.

I liked the tree shapes 

which act as an honour guard along the path.

The verticals draw your eye down

 to the wispy wild flox. 

The touches of warm mauve and red

  help break up the masses of green.

As always it is the light

filtering through the undergrowth.

 which gives most character to this picture.