We went to Scotland last September....and yes it was this green! Lynn and I took many photos. One that I most wanted to paint was the pic of a sweet cottage. This particular one resides on the property of Tulloch Castle......a place we stayed while in Dingwall. This "cottage" was once a deer larder and since has been converted to the Clan Davidson museum. You can read more about the history of the castle here: http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castle/tulloch-castle.
I started out spending too much time on the sky....trying to get it right. After many weeks of painting, white-washing, erasing, etc., I finally realized that the sky was not the focus, though apparently I wanted it to be. The sky was gray in the photo, though I remember some blue and clouds on that day. Decided to make it what I envisioned. I changed a lot of things from the original pic. That is huge for me! Being a realist, I want to make it just like the photo. I am very happy with the results and feel good about sharing. If you haven't been to Scotland, I encourage you to do so. Lovely people, beautiful landscape and wonderful vibes.
