Oak Branches (unfinished state)

30 x 40cm. Oil on panel.

First leaves of oak, with a bronzey tinge – ‘bronzage’ (presumably not bronzed from the sunshine). The sun is now getting hot, the land expiring alot of moisture, a mist hanging over the meadows, the grass knee high. I had to break off painting this because a flock of cumulus congestus ganged up & broke, rained, thundered & spat lightening. This often happens in spring with the hot sun driving off the steam from the wet land & this always gives me a throbbing headache.

So this painting is in an unfinished state.

‘Alla prima’ means painted in one session, first take. At it’s best, an ‘alla prima’ painting will have freshness. What it doesn’t have in formal perfection, it gains in vigour. Well, here I go teaching again. I think I’ll have to sleep on this painting & look at it again with fresh eyes, maybe tomorrow & maybe do some tweeking in the studio.