8815 Four Seasons - Spring
Jerry Yarnell – Inspiration of Painting PBS Television Series

This serene spring landscape captures a quiet lakeside scene with soft reflections, fresh greenery, and distant mountains fading into a gentle morning haze. In this beginner level acrylic painting lesson, Jerry walks you step-by-step through creating this peaceful composition in a 55 minute session on an 18x24 canvas, focusing on light, atmosphere, and the subtle beauty of early spring.

You’ll learn how to build a calm and balanced composition using shoreline elements, trees, and distant landforms to create depth and visual flow. Jerry demonstrates how to block in major shapes first, then refine them with soft blending techniques that help maintain a tranquil, natural feel throughout the painting.

Special attention is given to painting water and reflections, using smooth brushwork and controlled value changes to mirror the surrounding landscape. You’ll also explore how to create soft atmospheric perspective in the background, allowing distant trees and mountains to recede naturally into space.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll gain confidence in painting peaceful landscapes, understanding how to handle light, reflections, and depth with a gentle touch. This is an ideal project for beginners looking to develop foundational skills while creating a soothing and beautifully balanced springtime scene.