Virtual Paintout 4: Vevie Goes to Lithuania!

This is my 4th painting excursion with the Virtual Paintout gang (HERE). For the month of March we took off for Lithuania, via Google Street View. What a beautiful country!

Here is the Street View that 

I picked for my inspiration 

(can click on any pics to enlarge):

I played with it in Photoshop, 

and came up with this mock-up:

Here is my finished painting:

"Moonlit Dreams Come True"

Vilnius, Lithuania

9 x 12 acrylics 

on wrapped canvas

And now as usual, the "making-of" pics...

I started with an Ultramarine 

Blue underpainting on my canvas. 

Yikes! That took some getting used to! 

Then sketched with a charcoal pencil.

Here I have started blocking in 

major areas with color, going 

from dark to light.

The picture continues around the edges.

And the left edge.

Put down the first cloud layers, 

and continued layers and 

detail below.

Added Vevie looking up at the 

moon, and finished the sky, 

stars, clouds and details.

A couple of close-ups:

And here again is

"Moonlit Dreams Come True"

In conclusion, I wanted to say how humbled I felt at the beginning of this month after reading up on Lithuania. Being my 4th time out with the Virtual Paintout gang, and I am realizing just how much of a geographical ignoramus I truly am!! 

Lithuania has such a rich history, and has been through so many hard times over the centuries. Yet they endure. 

As I "traveled" the countryside away from the big cities, I saw modest homes surrounded by beautiful vegetable and flower gardens. Clean and neat, lush and obviously well-tended. And not just utilitarian, but beautiful to look at. 

After reading their history, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the strong people of Lithuania!

Happy painting and virtual traveling,

Retta