Painting from the old masters

I find myself back home in England for Christmas. Enjoying time with my parents and brother in suburban north London.  I thought I'd take this opportunity to take some photos of a few of the older paintings I have at my mum and dad's house.  These two are copies I did in oil on board of two Monet paintings I like.  I like the impressioninsts very much and have copied various Monet paintings to learn from his style and brushwork.  The white I used had been lying around our house for years so it was a bit solid coming from the tube, this made it hold the brushstrokes really well and I got some interesting impasto effects.

I have painted a few Monet copies before and as with the haystacks, these umbrella-wielding ladies are caught at distinct times of year. In the one with the little boy to the right it is springtime and the grass is fresh green and lush.  In the second it is late summer and the grass is dry and bleached yellow in the sun.

The skies also call for different renderings.  The spring sky looks earlier in the day and is fresh and animated, the summer sky is warmer and lazier. Interestingly we see the effects of a breeze in both paintings. Either day would be good kite flying weather I recon.