Oil Paintings from Your Garden a Guide for Beginners

Book excerpt: There's no place like home - and you can find inspiration for the most beautiful art right in your own backyard! No matter how ordinary it may at first seem, every garden has a unique character, with hidden treasures just waiting to be painted. Just think about it - no need to pack and carry materials, everything is close at hand, and beginners can experiment to their heart's content in happy privacy. Start painting, guided by these tips for buying and preparing oil paints; practical advice for setting up; innumerable sample pictures with a detailed breakdown of how they were done; and hints on creating marvelous oils from the most mundane subjects. There's advice on when to use photographs and how to make the most of available light, and pointers on improving technique and developing a personal style. You'll wonder why you ever worked anywhere else!