Spring Begins with Yellow
Bright pops of color against a landscape of brown, gray, and increasing green, who wouldn’t be happy about yellow flowers in early spring? Not only are we heartened by the blooms, so too are the flowers’ pollinators. Flies are among the first insects to awaken in spring. It turns out that they lack color vision, but they can perceive bright blooms against a darker background. And although they add moments of annoyance while sketching, I have to give them their due in service of spring.
Tips & Techniques– If you want to sharpen your color awareness, choose one color and fill a sketchbook page with it. Test out different pigments to see which hue suits your subject best. You can do this at any time of year, but it always seems to work best in spring when shades of greens, yellows, violets, and pinks abound.
Painting the Colors of Spring, May 17 (Pinks and Reds) and June 14 (Greens), 10am-2pm. If you’re in New England, join me for the upcoming sessions of this in person workshop at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in West Stockbridge, Mass. Click on the link at the end of the individual session to register. The May session is waiting list only, but there are still spots for June.
Drawn In 
Beautiful!!!
Thanks Ilze!
so brilliant, Jean! And a wonderful collection of yellows you are enjoying too. Love your tip about selecting one color and go wild with it on a journal page. I’ve done that before ….. well, at least I’ve tried. About 3/4 way thru, out comes another color. Your self discipline is admirable!
It’s not really discipline so much as there just isn’t much color besides yellow here at the moment.
Amazing!
i love your work jean.
Beautiful and inspiring as always!! Lovely pages.
Thanks Avery!
Catherine– that’s very sweet of you to say! Thanks!
An excellent color with which to greet spring! I really like the idea of exploring various tints and hues of a color, as found in nature. And I enjoy reading all your captions – your wit, and your appreciation for nature, both come through.
Jean, I like the way you drew and painted only the heads of the birds. That gives you room for lots of facial details. As always, I love your work.
Thanks Peggy! I didn’t think I’d have room for both birds, but I really wanted to include them. The circles gave me the space I needed.
I didn’t realize that flies are among the first to come out and didn’t know they don’t have color vision. Thank you! I love this page with so many cheerful yellow blooms (and nary a fly!). The Dandelion heads are fabulously ragged…and the birds look so alive. The Whitethroat has a noble expression. I’ll be posting a wildflower series soon – check out the similarity between Trout lilies and our Fawn lilies, which have the same, brown-splotched leaves.