Botanicals

The Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay, Maine is a wonderful place to stroll, sit, contemplate the beautiful placement of flowers and coastal plants, and, of course, paint. The garden also features sculptures, ponds, and inspirational places along a descending woodland path which hugs the shore.

Instead of painting close-ups of individual flowers, I prefer a scene which highlights some architectural or landscaping theme. In the upper garden there is a perugala that serves as a focal point.

Rather than paint the flowers with lots of tiny little dots, I use lots of soft edges, differentiating the groups of flowers with color rather than hard edges. Also, as in any landscape, colors tend to get grayer in the distance, so try to avoid pure colors everywhere. That will help identify the focal area.

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.......Well worth a visit!