Hydrangea Impressions

Hydrangea Impressions
20 x 20 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello

Painted this bouquet with the idea of showing warm light and cool shadows and kept it more impressionistic in style. Here's how it developed:

This was how I started, laying in transparent colors in the general shape.

Once I liked the overall shape of the bouquet, I added some color as an underpainting for the background, keeping everything pretty soft & loose.

After the transparent color block in, I continued suggesting hydrangeas by using warm and cool colors for lit and shadow areas, respectively. Gave some form to the vase. Added leaves with brush and palette knife. As I went along, I was adding to the background and reflections on the suggested tabletop. Stopped here, then came back the next day, adjusted a few shapes, highlight and finished Hydrangea Impressions in it's final form in the first image above.