Balancing Greens and Doubt

Inspiration can appear in many forms. Sometimes it’s a narrow alleyway, a sunlit facade, or even the colors of a single object. But not every beautiful scene makes a great painting. There’s always a process of questioning—can this become art?—and often the only way to find out is by trying.

This eucalyptus tree is located just beside the athletics track where I work. Over time, I found myself pausing there, watching the way the light danced through the branches at certain times of day. The effects of filtered light and the intense green atmosphere caught my attention, and I eventually decided to photograph it and explore the subject more seriously. It seemed like a good chance to work with natural textures and tackle one of my less familiar challenges: painting greens.

I followed my usual process—preliminary sketches, tonal studies, color palette selection, composition breakdown—and everything went smoothly. I enjoyed painting it from start to finish. But when the piece was done, something didn’t quite land for me. It felt more like a good study than a strong finished work. Technically, I was happy: the balance between the cooler greens and blues of the foliage and the warm golden tones below worked well. But the emotional pull wasn’t there. It’s a reminder that even when we execute a painting well, the subject must still speak on its own terms.

Still, as an exercise, this piece gave me what I needed: a reason to push outside my comfort zone and see greens with fresh eyes.

Preliminary Sketch and Color Study

Before painting, I explored tonal values and mapped out the palette. The study helped guide the layering of cool and warm contrasts. Colors included Cobalt Blue, Emerald Green, Cadmium Yellow Light and Sepia.

Materials and Technical Details

🎨 Medium: Schmincke Horadam watercolors
📄 Paper: Sennelier, 300g fine-grain cotton paper
📐 Size: 26 x 36 cm
📅 Date: October 2024
🔲 Format: Portrait
🎨 Palette: Balanced range of greens, yellows, and blues contrasted with earthy warm tones

Final Notes / Artist’s Reflection

Not every painting becomes a masterpiece—and that’s part of the process. This one may not have become one of my most memorable works, but it served as a valuable study in light, color temperature, and texture. Sometimes, the lesson is the painting itself.

Further Exploration

🍃 Curious to see more nature-based studies? Click here to explore the full watercolor collection.

Do you ever return to a place that seems ordinary, only to find something unexpectedly inspiring? Share your thoughts in the comments below.