Some thoughts on why I love to paint gardens

I've been thinking about how gardens are so appealing to me as a painter. A garden, no matter how humble, always makes me want to paint far more than the loveliest landscape vista.

Three pots, oil on 11 x 14” panel

For me the attraction to paint gardens hits on many levels. Probably most important is the vast array of bright, vibrant colours, together with a mix of interesting shapes from objects like containers, pots, statues, walls, fences, steps, sheds, and buildings - all of which can act as background objects or as the starring elements, depending on the unique light and shade at that particular time and place. The varied objects found in the relatively small space of a garden give much to see, think about, and work into the composition as desired. Continuing the theme of variety, it’s the varied textures and volumes that can be observed, honed in on and used to create a more interesting painting.

For me it's all this combined which strongly attracts me to paint gardens. Courtyards and allotments all offer similar painting opportunities. A well established, slightly messy, English cottage garden will always draw me in to paint, rather than the broad sweeps of a landscape view.

Sunlit shed, Dalley Lane allotments, oil on 11 × 14” panel

My 4dad’s old shed, oil on 8 x 10” panel