Impression of a Country Garden by keith agar

Why disheartened? It's hard to believe this isn't an oil painting. It's got light, colour, detail without fussiness ... I don't think it needs a lot more work; you may be nearer the finishing point than you think..

Thanks Robert.I find with acrylics that it very hard not to get sharp edges all the time,plus the fact that in 35 degrees heat the paint dries very rapidly and finish up on the palette with small amounts of paint that is rock hard.

This really is beautiful - the flowers are amazing, the figure feeding the birds is delightful...the buildings..lovely. Maybe the dark areas in the main tree are a little too dark? I have tried acrylics myself with pretty poor results. Well done you!!

This is delightful. The colours are vibrant without being gaudy, which I find difficult to achieve in acrylic. A lovely picture, don't be disheartened!

Watcha Keith, nice, livelly and fresh pic, no need to feel disheartened. Perhaps a touch of shadow beneath the figure and geese, just to get them to sit more comfitably on the track? best Mick

I think this is a good effort Keith, especially as it's your first try with acrylics. I've never had much success with them myself. Perhaps they may suit you?

Keith, it's a lovely painting. A great composition and not too fussy at all.

Can't resist coming back and nattering on again .... don't agree with Helen about the darkness of the shadow on the main tree; it's a matter of opinion, but apart from maybe a light glaze, I wouldn't touch it. Do agree with Mick though about a shadow under the figure and geese. I sympathize with the heat problem (not that there's much of that in evidence where I am at the moment) - the usual way around that is to keep spraying the paint on palette and canvas with water: see Roger Bansemer's demonstrations, who has similar problems - or to switch to resoluble acrylic. Or oil, of course! I like the sharp edges acrylics give you - on the whole. They give some of my paintings a bit of much needed "bite" - but of course this is the same problem as the paint drying too fast: it's very hard to blend. Try the water-spray. I don't usually comment twice on a picture, so it proves I must like this one.

Thank you all for your very helpful comments which I have taken on board.The shadowing is going in and will be having another look at the foliage.If there is one thing I have learnt and that is to avoid the sharp edges I can do a fair bit of scumbling by useing less paint.