Working in a Series-Meadow and Trees Subject

One of the things I learned long ago is that my best paintings are painted when I am excited by a theme and really get in there and work the variations. Here are three in the order I painted them.

Carpet of Flowers 16 x 12
First in the series , this was a study in texture and color that I enjoyed doing. I liked the qulaity of light and for me, relatively quiet mood of the palette. I would have normally put in some darks to compliment the lights.

Pacific Meadow 18 x 10 .
Here I've accentuated  the vertical composition,  and made the value contrasts more dramatic . I've also made the trees into one mass , which simplifies and strengthens the composition. The use of color is more vibrant, but I've still carefully controlled the values to avoid chaos.

A Tangled Place 14 x 14.
Here's the top square of the previous painting, accentuating the placement of the trees to the left and playing up the colors and shapes of the meadow. The simplification and abstract quality of this would not have been possible for me without working through the other paintings.