Sun and Shadow in the Garden. I love gardens as they change with time, time of day, and season. Last year I spent long hours studying the colors and patterns made by leaves and blossoms in my backyard, and noted the ever-changing play of sun and show from first light through midday to late afternoon. These modulations fascinate me not only every day, but from spring through late summer and into autumn.

My plan was to paint my subjects close-up and large in order to reveal the intricate twists and curls of leaves and flowers as defined by sunlight—and to contrast this interplay of shape and hue with the nearly featureless shadows also cast by the sun.