Painting “Through the Silver Birch”
Plein‑Air Painting – Oil on Canvas Panel
I spied this group of Silver Birch trees on the boundary of a garden and they asked me to paint them…
Some subjects are like that. You see them and see the painting instantly. It then calls to you forever afterward.
I'm haunted by so many perfect subjects that beg being painted. Oh how I suffer for my art! Yes, I'm writing that tongue in cheek. There's people in the world who are actually suffering, and I'm not among them as I write (touches wood).
I finally got the opportunity to paint these trees on a warm Summer day. A gentle breeze wafting through the dancing leaves made the subject irresistible. Light sparkled on the leaves as they fluttered and I just couldn't not paint it.
This is the second painting I've made from the same position, the first painting didn't quite cut‑it, so I painted over it.
There are some paintings that spark lots of ideas for other art, and this is one. I've not had chance to pursue the creative nuggets living in this work yet, but that's the thing about paintings – they hold on to their treasure.
No matter how much time passes, I can see all those pointers to other art that sparkle in this little gem… like the leaves. This is that magic at work again I keep going on about…
And I've not even mentioned the hare that lazily hopped through the background in the painting while I worked, magical creature.