Playing with greens

I have had a bit of a thing about 'greens' and leaves.(Not the sort of greens that got stewed to death and served for Sunday lunch!)
It started with my visit to Kew Gardens when the Rhododendrons were out, and the quality of the leaves was incredible. I loved their sheen, and the variety of colours within each tree.
I painted the following picture as a direct result of the photos we took that day and I was really pleased with the result.

                                                        Rhododendron at Kew Gardens


Then three weeks ago at Avon Valley Artists Group, We had to select seed heads as the topic and I chose to have a go at some grass seed heads. It is called Ethiopian Fountain Grass and was not easy to paint, but I really liked the effect of using a limited palette to produce the image.. I similarly enjoyed painting the Euphorbia for a similar reason. I liked that one enough to hang it in the new studio, where I can look at it every day.

                                                           Ethiopian Fountain Grass

                                                                       Euphorbia

I have just done a painting of some Cerinthe, because the colours within the leaf-like bracts is so beautiful. Not quite greens only but still a limited palette. I am not sure if this one is finished yet. It may need some darks in the centre with a hint of background leaves, but I will look at it for a couple of days before I decide what to do.

                                                                  Cerinthe Major

In my box of paints I have Sap, Hookers, Apatite, Serpentine, and Pthalo Greens, and Pthalo, Anthracite,Cobalt, Ultramarine and Indigo Blues.
I also have quite a few earth browns which make a wide range of delicious greens when mixed with the Indigo or Anthracite blue. Well worth having a play to see what you can get from the paints in your box.!