Majestic Live Oaks are treasured here in Texas. Green all winter, they offer cool shade in the summer and the leaves, dropped in the spring as their new growth bursts out, make great mulch for our garden. I’m using mixes of Pthalo Blue + a bit of Ultramarine Blue + Cadmium Orange + White for the shadows. Brushstrokes of Ultramarine Blue + White are made here and there to bring more coolness to the darker areas.
The same mixtures, with additional white, make up the lighter portions of the tree’s canopy.
Tiny twigs, peeking through the foliage around the perimeter of the tree, are drawn into the wet paint of the sky with a fine liner brush.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION: Blocking in the Indian Paintbrush wildflowers
FIRST OF ALL….I must apologize. This video is a bit out of focus. It’s entirely my fault, Operator ERROR! I was so excited to start working on the Indian Paintbrush I forgot to focus the camera. OPPS, is my face ever RED! It matches the painting!
The round pads of the cactus are made by twisting my square (Bright) brush. Please remember as you read through my blog, you may click on any of the images to see them larger.
An artist’s heart leaps for joy when something cool like the brushstroke above occurs. The little openings add magical texture to the dried brush behind the cacti; a happy surprise I make certain to leave alone.
Now, let’s get to work on the field of Bluebonnets. The larger ones in the foreground are blocked in with combinations of Cobalt Blue + White.
Mixes of Ultramarine Blue + White are used for the Bluebonnets in the distance, near the Indian Paintbrush. The mixture is a little duller than the more intense Cobalt Blue, so these flowers will recede. I’m following a simple rule that helps to give the impression of depth in a painting: Intense Colors come forward, Duller colors go back. This is one of Jack’s WHITEISM’s!
Work will continue on the Bluebonnets in our next session. I do hope you’ll drop by the studio and follow along. By the way, I really appreciate all of your kind comments! My readers are THE BEST! With Colorful Smiles and Big Hugs,
Mikki Senkarik 
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