The artwork titled "Laying in the Shade" is a captivating piece measuring 9x12 inches, created using watercolor and colored pencil on Arches cold press paper. This vibrant and detailed illustration showcases an intricate network of thin, interwoven branches adorned with numerous leaves, covering a significant portion of the canvas. The leaves are depicted in an array of green shades, with occasional hints of red and orange, hinting at the seasonal transition.

The background, a lighter green, enhances the prominence of the foliage, creating an impressive sense of depth that immerses the viewer, giving the impression of gazing up into a dense, leafy canopy. The artwork balances realism and abstraction, capturing the natural elegance of the leaves while employing a dynamic and impressionistic approach to convey their movement and vitality.

Inspired by the serene experience of lying in the shade and observing the interplay of light and leaves, this piece evokes the calm and beauty of nature. The soft rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze and the sparkling, dancing sunlight filtering through create a mosaic of colors that brings the scene to life. The unique process of creating this artwork involved meticulously blending watercolors and colored pencils to achieve the combination of clarity for closer leaves and a more impressionistic view for those higher up, resulting in an engaging, multi-layered visual experience.