Weeping Willow - 1

 

The title suggest there are more paintings to come using this tree as my model and that is exactly what I have planned. The reference picture was made a few months ago, in springtime with a lot of sunlight from behind the tree. The colours of the tree are not visible, it's only a silhouette against the light, ideal for creative interpretations.

A few weeks ago I found a group about Tonalism on Facebook and first I started reading about it, then I applied for membership - which was granted.

Tonalism is a style of painting that was used in America, inspired by Impressionism and a bit in the shadow of that movement. It is mostly about atmospheric landscapes, sunrise, sunset, backlit scenes, misty scenes - just what I like very very very much.

So this is a first painting of a series, using the ideas of Tonalism with a weeping willow as my model. The next paintings will have different colours, sunrise or sunset or what I can think of to change the atmosphere of the scene. Of course I can add bushes, other trees or even a pond or hills if I want to. A snowy scene could also be great. 

The original reference picture has some buildings in the background and a street from left to right. The tree stands in a small parc area with a pond on its left. In this painting I have only indicated the buildings and the slope of the grassy area towards the pond. Now I have painted the tree once, I can paint it with more confidence the second time - and all other paintings to come.

The information about the materials I have used, the size of this painting, its price and availability can all be found in my Tumblr blog.