Ever struggle with overworking your landscape paintings?

Palm trees are a good test of your resolve. All those big fronds and tiny leaflets inviting you to draw every line. Just by observing too closely the painting can stiffen up before you know it.

I painted this colorful palm tree on location in Croatia. Standing before that single palm against a big blue sky, I reached for pink, violet and deep crimson. Nothing static, nothing rendered. The color is my response to the moment rather than a record of what was actually there. The energy of the wash and pastel marks is where the movement comes from. Expressive color brings feeling.

So how do we capture that energy and life?

Luckily I snapped a photo of that palm tree, so we can paint it together. We'll look at:

✔️ Bold marks that carry energy
✔️ Color that brings life to the scene
✔️ Suggestion over detail for a painterly result

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This painterly approach is a taste of what unfolds in The Painterly Landscape Course. You'll discover the power, fun and freedom of using bold marks and expressive color in your paintings with a complete Painterly Roadmap to guide you. We're also giving the Practice Makes Painterly Bonus to everyone who enrolls in the course before September 9 at 7pm ET when the doors close. This helpful guide is packed with 6 exercises for loose, fresh painting, including the 100-stroke challenge.

Want to paint loose and free? Now's your chance. Enroll in The Painterly Landscape Course by Wednesday, September 9 at 7pm ET, and take the first step toward bolder, looser paintings in pastel that impact the viewer with energy and expression. Seven Milestones take you on a journey of transformation in your landscape painting from design all the way to a beautiful destination.

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