Impressions of bluebells

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

■ How to paint with acrylics

■ Convey an impression of a scene

■ Practise colour mixing for subtlety

There is a magical place, near to where I live in Hertfordshire, called Hitch Wood. Most of the year it is a regular, coppiced wooded area, popular with families and dog walkers. Come mid-April, the floor transforms into the most wonderful carpet of bluebells. It’s as though the sky has fallen to the ground in great drifting clouds of lilac and blue.

It’s a fleeting moment of the season that begs to be captured in paint, but where would you begin? On the surface it is such a simple view, with a few trees, a path, and a swathe of colour. Look closer and there is potential for lots of finicky detail, and many leaves, tiny flowers and textures in the undergrowth.

If you have a fondness for botanical painting or capturing detail then such a scene is one that will both challenge and delight, but also take a long