Typically, my paintings are rooted in metaphysical or psychological concepts, and while a landscape may play a role in the composition, it is usually secondary to the central idea. I wanted to break from this tradition and create a few landscape paintings purely for their aesthetic beauty. One such piece is Shaded Grove, which was inspired by a view from Descanso Gardens in Southern California.

My objective was to experiment with an impressionist style, using loose brushstrokes. I used Golden Open Acrylics, which are known for their slow drying time, to bring my vision to life. Initially, the impressionist technique worked well as I worked from the background to the foreground. As I approached the foreground, I encountered some challenges in maintaining the rough brushwork while still capturing the necessary details. The nearby Clivia plant, with its large strap-like leaves, required me to to tighten up the brush work. This ended up being a positive outcome, as it helped to create a sense of depth and differentiate the nearby objects from the background. The final result was a painting that embodies both impressionist and realistic elements.