Since the covid – 19 lockdown of the country begun, the weather is ... beautiful, of course. After one of the rainiest autumns, followed by a very wet winter, the weather is finally perfect. Blue skies (this is something new for us Brits), sunshine, dry and warm. And because of the lockdown restrictions we can’t go out for leisure, just to enjoy all of this. But I still have the garden. I painted it a few times before, but still few more paintings can be done. I was hoping to paint the apple tree blossom, but already started to fade. So, I have chosen to paint the other side, featuring the fir tree, in front of the apple tree. This is a special fir tree for me. The first fir tree I bought for my very first Christmas in the UK, almost 11 years ago. It was a foot, or so tall, in a little pot. I was living in Bath at that time. Couple of years later, we moved to Verwood. A week after we moved went back to Bath and took the little fir tree in a pot, where it was struggling to survive. It was barely alive and when I arrived home, the car was full of fir needles. I planted it and took good care of it, watered it with water from the fish tank and it rewarded me coming back to life. And now is over three meters tall. And doing well. We even used the fir tree buds to make a fir tree buds syrup. Anyways, back to the painting. I did it alla prima over two sessions. Same reduced palette and no medium, just turps; nearly run out of the stuff and not sure if any art supply shops still open. But I will figure something. Worst case would be me using turps from the hardware store instead. Probably it would work the same. So, here it is: “A corner of the garden.” Oil on linen. 20 X 30cm (8” X 12”).
