Mt. Tabor and Wildflowers

"Mt. Tabor and the Megiddo Valley in bloom" by Hilary J. England
Oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

Mt. Tabor and the Megiddo Valley

When I was in the Megiddo valley, it was unusual that the valley was in such a full bloom, but the rains had been unusually heavy for the month before my arrival, and the valley was a carpet of colorful wildflowers: Poppies, Queen Anne's lace, and an assortment of yellow hued posies -- just wonderful!
The original painting I did was small and lean -- I had no time to get too fanciful, so with the acrylics drying as I was painting, I tried to capture the essence of the dreamy scene -- some haze still lingering in the distance, lending to the scenery an ethereal quality.  It was hard to believe that this would be the scene of a great battle someday.

Oils versus Acrylic

Acrylic is extremely lean and spare, so the ability to paint in oil was wonderful.  The acrylic dries extremely quickly, whereas the oil can be made to stay "juicy" for more than a day, allowing for wonderful, thick strokes and working alla prima (fresh on the canvas).  I just love acrylic and there really is no other medium like it to me, not to knock anyone that loves acrylics.  

In the end, I was just looking for an excuse to relive the lovely scene in the valley 💖