“I had this painting in my head for a few years with two different scenarios — this one, a spring painting using snow-in-summer (a ground cover) as the lightest value to contrast with the stone rabbit, ivy, and rocks in my backyard; and another that I’ll do in the future using actual snow as the lightest value,” says Kathy Anderson.
“I’m not sure which came first, the concept of this painting or the idea to pay homage to Andrew Wyeth’s ‘May Day’, a mostly two-value painting I’ve always loved. Nevertheless, the thoughts were linked the moment I began to design the composition.
“I set up outside on three different occasions to work on the piece before finishing it in the studio. Unfortunately, I was never able to get the ground cover to take off, so I placed the greenery where I wanted it then took small white flowers from another plant and stuck them where they needed to be. At the last minute, my blue periwinkles started to bloom so I added a couple of those as well.”
Capture Your Favorite Spring Blossoms to Live in Your Home Forever!
If you come alive when you see spring flowers, Kathy Anderson’s “How to Paint Flowers Outside” video workshop will help you master the art of painting the flowers you love. Learn more about painting flowers here!
Don’t miss your opportunity to create lifetime memories at PACE! The next Plein Air Convention & Expo is May 14-18, 2026 in The Ozarks. All training sessions are indoors on giant, high-def screens, with plein air paint-outs in the afternoons. Beginners and pros feel right at home, so register now to join us!
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Blog post prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today
