Plum tree in bloom

I waited one year for this particular tree to bloom again, last year I waited too long and a big wind took away all the blossoms.  The way the branches bend a bit to the left and the depth of the background drew me to this tree two years in a row.

Not too late

I decided on a vertical composition and then began blocking in the white areas for the flowers with a very light gray.  That way I would not be putting white flowers over the dark background -making a muddy mess.  It was then a question of filling in the background in between the white areas.  This was a great time to paint because the colors were not all green.  I had fun with the white flowers, cool in the shadows and warm in the light.

Beginning by blocking in the white areas

Now we have only to wait for the fruit to appear and ripen - and fight with the thieving crows.

Albero di Susino  o/c  40x30cm -available at the Stage Door Gallery