Love Those Palm Trees

I'm not sure why, but I have had some irresistible urges to try my hand at painting lately. I haven't really painted since high school, when I had a brief stint in art class, but didn't stick with it, since they seemed to do more artsy-craftsy stuff like raw potato stamping and the like. I always did okay with drawing, and have always wanted to try my hand at painting, but I just haven't ever jumped into it. 

I started out with acrylics, but I recently realized that the paints have a strong odor that has been making me sick every morning that I practice. I will be switching to water color to see how that goes. 

Palm trees are very inspiring. This one certainly didn't turn out as natural-looking as it was in my mind, but I think it's kind of cool, in a kitschy kind of way. 

Going for a little more realism next time. 

And here is my second attempt.