Working on the same paper as yesterday, which is Bockingford, I thought I’d try something a bit more adventurous based on a photo I took earlier this year. Centennial Park is a cultivated parkland but some bits of it are quite unkempt and natural and this is one of my favourite dog walking spots with a wooded area on sandy bedrock. I think the trees are Spruce so it’s not real bush (it’s not wild for a start), but it feels very much like it.
Years ago I went on a painting course with Ron Ranson and I’ve been trying to recall the lessons I learnt then, but I’m struggling. Somehow we managed to get very strong, rich colours and lovely loose expressive brush strokes – mind you, this was after a solid weekend of practice and lots of tuition so I know I’m expecting a lot to sit down and remember it all after about twenty minutes! I keep reminding myself of this and also that the aim really is to try lifting out paint again, which will happen in the later stages of the painting with some foreground trees. So far I really like the colours in the foreground, except for that unfortunate bloom on the left… I’ll have to think of some way to use it, while trying not to totally lose the nice tones.