A New Painting - Alberta Blue with Poplar Leaves

I have a new painting on my easel. This canvas is not quite square - it's 20" x 24". Here you can see the "Alberta Blue" background color which I have created from several different hues of blues and greens. I usually do not use paint straight from a tube, but tend to blend and mix until the color I want emerges. Through years of experimentation, I generally don't end up with "mud" like I did when I first began to paint.

Here you can see the first layer of leaves and

branches placed on the background sky. In my backyard, I have a small "forest" of poplar trees

which turn a beautiful brilliant yellow and gold in the fall. Against the intense blue of these Alberta skies we have, they create a spectacular color experience. I am hoping to replicate some of that here... These are not all the leaves which will be in this painting - but I thought you would like to see this one in its early stages.