Yumthang Valley

Acrylic on Canvas, 12"x16"

Got this painting done today and creating this scene on canvas was such a joy. Yumthang valley in the state of Sikkim is a picturesque place situated in the north eastern part of India. We visited this place couple of years ago in May, and I was in awe of the beauty of the Himalayan mountains all around. Come spring, the valley is laden with the vibrant rhododendron flowers which come in an array of colours such as pink, red, purple and white.

I took many pictures here, and this scene was chosen for my painting. Here is the reference picture.I added in the rocks,more flowers, clouds and did some colour shifts. What is satisfying is, since I intended this as a small study before doing a larger one, I did not get worked up, was not afraid to experiment and got done very quickly in about three sittings.

Morning in the Woods

Acrylic on Canvas, 24"x 36"

Since a month, painting has been keeping me busy, for a change :-). Got done three of them. One of them was my first commissioned painting, which I shall post later.
I enjoyed painting this scene from a reference photo. Added in the deer and experimented with the foliage.  In my opinion, painting bigger just feels visually better, especially landscapes. This was also a learning experience in terms of adjusting the values. Achieving the right values when there are many colors in the painting is tricky in the beginning. Its easier when you have just two or three colors to play with.