Jennifer Allevato 

Giverny in Spring

8 x 10 inch Pastel on deckle edge paper

Three years ago I finally achieved a decades-old dream of mine to visit Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny, France. I was there in April, before the wisteria or lilies were out, but the gardens were still in full bloom with tulips, daffodils, pansies, hyacinth, cherry blossoms, azaleas, and more. There was color everywhere, both inside Monet’s home and out. The view from the kitchen windows onto the gardens, the iconic pink house, the bridge over the pond: I never tire of looking at the hundreds of snapshots I took that day, nor from creating works of art inspired by the trip, capturing the magical feeling of that sunny day, as the breeze fluttered among the trees, just as it had for Monet over one hundred years before.

This is my first collection entirely in oil pastels, and I love exploring the color and texture among these scenes. There is such depth that can be created with oil pastels, and it was the perfect way to capture all the beautiful moments.

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