Make a Monet

Claude Monet managed to pack an incredible sense of calm into his Water Lilies collection of paintings. His use of brushstroke and myriad of green shades transport the onlooker to a place of contemplation. Monet inspires us further in his painting, The Japanese Bridge,1899 as we find ourselves placed in view of the most idyllic and frankly dreamy scene. Monet moves us into this lush landscape using luminous shades of greens and blue. He beckons we stay for awhile and it is, assuredly without hesitation, that we do.

There is something so revitalizing about the color green. Depending on the shade, green can provide a feeling of vibrancy or calm. Think about how you feel when you look at a lime green color. Does it make you feel a bit energized? Now consider the deeper green shades found in say a fern or snake plant? It's effect is oftentimes more calming.

It only seemed, as we took in the flora of our unfurling garden, that we must recreate this scene. I found it would become a great lesson in depth of field. We collected like colors from our garden, using the above picture as our guide. I looked for dark leaves to recreate the water and found the lilac flowers to suit our water lily needs quite perfectly.

Gather:

*Leaves in many shades of green, dark leaves, blue/purple leaves or flow