after the rain

Wednesday 4 March 2015

after the rain

Mixed media abstract landscape on canvas by Renee Walden

"After the rain" - mixed media on canvas

After weeks and weeks we've had some rain. I feel like one of the plants soaking it up, feeling refreshed and clean. I'm a summer girl so I hope this doesn't mean the start of autumn, but I do appreciate the rain when it is very rare :-)

I knew when I started this painting that I wanted something light and cheerful. Something more like one from my "In a Happy Place" series from a couple of years ago. The other painting I'm working on at the same time is rather dark and moody, so I wanted something quite different for this one.

I didn't have a clear idea about the subject matter, only the colours, so I just dove right in covering the scary white of the canvas. Here is an early picture, laying down the background....

As soon as I added the green over the pink I got all excited - the 2 colours worked so well together. I just wanted to do more and more of this. I also suddenly realised the green was a reflection of the sudden change in the lawn outside my window since the day of rain.

I then deepened some of the background colours and roughed in a landscape using a little colllage.