Margaret Aycock is an accomplished artist and experienced oil painting teacher. While her paintings often reflect the landscape in and around her home in Oklahoma, for this book, she travels to the French countryside, where pioneers of the Impressionist movement once found their inspiration. She too, found inspiration for her painterly landscapes in the acres of wild poppies, olive orchards, and vineyards that dotted the land around the abbey where she stayed. In this book Margaret Aycock demonstrates the complete oil painting process from field to studio with easy to understand instructions and practical tips and tricks. Students at all levels will benefit from step by step written instructions and full color photo examples. Readers will learn how to structure a pleasing composition, create a focal point, mix color, make, and use painting tools. She will illustrate how to hold a brush to achieve interesting effects, and how to use the thick over thin layering process to create a painterly style landscape. Beginners and accomplished artists will also benefit from the "homework" section at the back of the book. Pack your bags and enjoy the oil painting journey.