Painting Nasturtiums at Santa Barbara Cemetery

I found a very peaceful spot to paint at the Santa Barbara Cemetery. It might seem like an unusual place for art, but the view was truly special. From where I stood, I could look right over the wetlands bird sanctuary. The landscape was full of life and colour.

The main subject of this painting is the big tree on the left and the flowers below it. These bright orange and yellow flowers are nasturtiums. They were growing wild around the base of the tree trunk. To paint these lovely flowers, I used cadmium yellow and cadmium red. I wanted them to look very bright against the dark wood of the tree. For the leaves, I used spring green mixed with a little viridian green. It makes a fresh and vibrant colour.

The ground in the middle of the scene was dry and warm. I used burnt sienna and yellow ochre to capture that earthy look. In the distance, you can see the water of the wetlands. I kept this area very soft and simple. I used a light wash of cerulean blue and some cobalt green for the distant fields. For the dark shadows under the tree and plants, I mixed neutral tint with ultramarine blue. This helps the bright colours stand out even more.

This painting is available for sale. Please contact me if you are interested in buying it or if you need more information. I really enjoyed painting this scene and I hope it makes you smile.

Do not forget to visit the rest of my website at www.timwilmotartist.com to see more paintings. If you want to learn how to paint watercolours with me, please join my community on Patreon at patreon.com/timwilmot. We have a friendly group there and you can even check it out for a free trial!