Palmtrees in Alamillo

[Grapes]

Old palmtree paintings from the parque called Alamillo in Seville.

1. Oil painting on canvas board, 25x35 cm.

2. Oil painting on canvas board, 20x35 cm.
This was painted in winter. The locals were walking with their winter coats on and warm scarfs. I was enjoying this weather as summer with my t-shirt and shorts on.

3. Oil painting on canvas, about 18x26 cm.
Wanted to try to paint an orange tree pleinair with tree trunks receding and shadows on the ground. Photo is probably a little bit bad and the shadows show lighter than in the real painting.

On location photo:

These two I painted on the same day:

4. Oil painting on canvas, about 40x40 cm.
Wanted to try to paint the road and the lines of palmtrees. It was very cloudy when I started but the sky cleared up later.

5. Oil painting sketch study on canvas paper, 20x30 cm.

6. Oil painting on canvas (wip), 46x55 cm.
This took two sessions & two days and the first was 5 h long which is typical for a large canvas. Needs to be finished in studio, the white angled line in the horizon is suppose to be the Alamillo bridge. Still thinking how to add it in the picture. I feel it needs to be there. The front area also misses smth. Maybe birds ? Or parrots ? I've seen parrots in these parks.

These are my first palmtree studies.

 

[Donna T]

These are all so good, Grapes! The orange trees and their shadows were a complicated subject but you described the light so well. I can’t pick a favorite palm painting -each one has something interesting to offer. I’m not sure if you need to add the bridge to the last one. Would it take the focus off of the trees? I’m inclined to keep it simple but maybe you could do a sketch and see what adding the bridge or birds does to the feel of the piece.

 

[Bartc]

Really like all of them!

 

[LizC]

I really like the first one, I like your loose brushstrokes and the impressionistic style

 

[Joy]

These are all excellent. Thanks for the insight on the methods. My favorite if the road with the rows of tress. Excellent sense of depth and perspective.

 

[Grapes]

Donna, thanks! I have a passion for orange and palmtrees . I plan to paint more of those shadows and tree trunks in the future. It's a strage subject to paint as pleinair. One needs practice.
Re the last one: I was thinking the bridge almost invisible like disappearing to the sky. It's an odd thing to add there but in reality it's a landmark. Let's see how that will work.
About the recent idea of adding birds my husband says why don't you cut the birds of paper first and see how they fit to the scene .

Bart, thank you so much! It was a good series to do and get practice.

Liz, thanks l think my favorite is no 4 but the photo didn't turn out well and being favorite it might smth to do with what I experienced/enjoyed at the moment when painting.

Joy, thanks. That one is my favorite also!

 

[Joy]

Grapes, with the birds (or any other change) one can use a piece of acetate over the painting and paint on that to see if you like the changes. It can be wiped clean again from most watercolors, but IDK how oils would affect it.

 

[Grapes]

Joy, that's an excellent idea!
I'm interested in trying that, will tell you then later how my experiment went.