Come relax in my garden

Don't you love this time of year when a brush against a tree leaves your hair full of blossom? When the breeze that whispers through the garden picks up the scents of roses and brushes it like a warm caress across your cheek? I seem to have come over very romantic!

My entry for this week's Inspiration Avenue 'Summer Fun & Relaxation' challenge. Well, I can't think of anything more relaxing then painting in the garden which is what I did. (We're keeping the romantic theme going despite the fact that running about after flyaway papers was not in keeping with peace and tranquility).

How this piece came about was fun anyway. I found a beautiful picture in a magazine of a green glass bowl of summer berries layered with cream. How perfect! I painted myself a green background then transferred the image on top. It was fine, but I didn't quite know what to do with it. I wanted to paint! So, I just had fun with the paint and swirled and scraped and brushed enjoying the feel of the medium and the freedom of expression. The painting became an abstract of my garden - what you'd see if you dived in the flower beds after a glass or two of bubbly alcohol.

I dribbled some inks and was happy with the result. But... I couldn't resist a small play in Photoshop so layered in a couple of photographs I took of the garden last weekend. They are quite subtle. I used some soft light overlay and brought down the opacity...

Then I cropped. And this is the result. What do you think? Do you feel like relaxing in my summer garden?

(It helps to enlarge the pictures)