12 July 2014

When is too much green too much green? Spring Vineyard in Provence

Spring Vineyard in Provence
Oil on box (gallery wrapped canvas
30x40x4cm (12x15x1.5inch)
The sides have been painted black.
Can be hung without a frame for a contemporary look.
Click on the image for a larger view
Available on Daily Paintworks

There is no getting away from using lots of green in a spring scene, particularly here in Provence after the spring rains when everything is bursting out.

The problem is that too much green in a painting is boring and can be dull even if using the vivid greens of spring. One solution is to intersperse the green with different colours, usually by using reds and/or yellow ochre pale. However, this can result in a spring scene quickly turning into an autumn scene.

About this painting
This is a spring vineyard scene from the Vidauban area in the Var with the Maures in the background. This is an area with deep red soil so I used burnt sienna (a reddish brown) for the earth and purples of the shadows to set off the greens. At the back of the vines I used a bluey-green to indicate the distance. The path in the middle was actually grass but I couldn't find a green that worked well so I turned it into a pale ochre path.

Let me know your tricks for painting spring green.

Contact  me about this or any other painting HERE

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