Researching Slovakia and Slovenia yielded almost identical landscapes, and they are in a similar place, separated by Hungary. Also a historically Slav country, it was conquered and re-conquered by most of the regional powers of the time. They finally declared independence from Yugoslavia and became a developed, democratic sovereign country part of European Union, NATO and United Nations. That seems to be a common theme, that countries who emerged from the Soviets aligned with the West with a strong protection pact (NATO) and access to European markets. Similar to Slovakia, they have some really old artifacts including what is thought to be the oldest musical instrument ever found, a 43,000 year old carved bear bone. It used to belong to a band called Luka and the Cave Bears, and they played a kind of contemporary Jazz with bear flutes. Okay I made up the last part, although its true that Luka is currently the most popular Boys name according to the all-knowing internet.
After painting the intense sky of Sierra Leone and the gaudy neon trees of Singapore, this painting was like more relaxing on the eye. It shows a sprawling field of cherry trees in blossom. I covered the whole sheet in a pale yellow wash (water plus yellow ochre PY43), then surrounded the tree shapes with a nice granny smith apple green (PY154 + PG7 + PY43 + PY110). As it dried I daubed the shadows and pink blossoms, and then painted over the dark trunks and branches to make the whole scene pop. Like Bob Ross happy trees, this painting is full of happy trees.
World Inspired Landscapes: Slovenia, watercolour 8 x 10" hot press, April 2025 (No. 3874b)
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