PRACTICAL PASTELS
Even the smallest patch of outdoor space that we call our own can create a sanctuary that takes us away from the stresses of everyday life. The reward of the hard work that goes into making a garden is immeasurable for the peace and tranquillity it offers. For the artist of course, the garden is also a rich and never-ending source of inspiration. If you don’t have your own garden there are plenty of gardens to visit for inspiration. I truly appreciate the monumental work that goes into making a perfectly manicured formal garden, but the elaborate and visually spectacular design can look rather contrived in a painting. I get more excited by the rustic beauty of a cottage garden. The more organic planting of a cottage garden presents some fabulously random and abstract shapes for the artist to explore. Flowers, trees and shrubsas greenhouses, vegetable patch, garden furniture, rose arches, gates and doors, can all bring interesting backdrops to the more organic shape of the plants and the contrast can be quite striking.
