Gardens and backyards often reflect the personalities of the people who tend to them. In this series I have chosen to paint eight distinct gardens belonging to friends. A photograph of each friend in their garden will accompany each painting. These works present a challenge on many levels. The discipline of studying the natural world with its complexities of growth patterns and color changes forces me to learn to “see” over and over again, grounds me and provides inspiration for my abstract pieces. The physical challenge of working in egg tempera with small brushes on 4x3 foot panels in multiple layers of glazes can be daunting, and during the time it takes to complete each painting the gardens may change dramatically. Although I work from many photographs which I take as reference, I also like to paint from life to better understand the forms and colors. These are not plein aire paintings which typically are quick studies, but are sustained works done over a matter of months.
