Rose Pot

Oil on Canvas

5x7"

$75

    

     Still studying Dynamic Symmetry and Fletcher Colour Control. We have here a sinister diagonal done in red orange in the key of green blue.

Snowy Rose

Snowy Rose

Oil on Canvas

11x14"

$308

     Spring had already come, but it always snows in April. 

     I used filbert brushes for this. I was better able to pile on the snow.

Floppy Roses

Oil on Canvas

8x8"

$128

     We have roses at our new place, and they are where the deer cannot get them. I am hoping for many poses from these roses. 

     This little painting took four tries. I just knew it could work out although I decided to give it up over and over again. I really expect a lot from my canvas to withstand the scrubbings it sometimes has to go through.

Jacquie's Roses

Oil

10x10"

$200

     Roses from Jacquie's garden, in massive profusion, stuck in a plastic milk jug. Beautiful anyway. I cropped out these few for the painting. (Left out the milk jug.)

The Rose Challenge

Red Rose

5x7"

Oil

$70

DPW $50

     This week's Challenge is to paint a rose, any way at all. Flowers are not my strength so this Challenge is a good thing.  I could have chosen to paint just a petal or a leaf, but I decided to be very traditional and paint a rose, thorns and all.  How interesting that the thorns really were the color of the rose! I did not know that about thorns. Another bit of fun was painting on a turquoise canvas. Red has become my favorite imprimatura, but experimenting is a must. Generally this was a good time in the studio, but I am disappointed that the front leaf does not glow with sun against the red rose the way it did in real life.

Rosebud in Shadow

Rosebud in Shadow

6x6"

Oil

$72

DPW $50

     This little rosebud was found on the dim periphery of a photograph of several fully blown roses, but it was this small flower I chose to paint. I loved the way it seemed to emerge from the shadows with only a "baby spot" on its little bud casings (What are those called?). The dark, dark you see is pure Prussian Blue, not black. High contrast is always exciting, but must be careful with the edges.

Yellow Roses

Yellow Roses

8x10"

$160

DPW $112

Yellow Rosebuds

6x6"

$72

DPW $50

     These are supposed to be for the Challenge, Seeing Double. I think I might have not followed the directions to the letter, but it was important for me.  I wanted to paint yellow roses, one with analogous background and one with complementary background. I needed to see the effect of each approach. Here they are. I think the complementary color scheme is more striking (as would be expected), but I like the analogous treatment better. This is purely a matter of individual taste. And that is fine. There is room in the world for both.

Flowers #4

Flowers #4

6x6"

$72

DPW $50

     The little flower paintings I see on DPW are delightful and inspiring. There are so many artists doing these, I was not sure I wanted to try, thinking I might not have anything fresh to offer. Of course, that is crazy thinking because we all know the creator did not worry that s/he was making pink flowers over and over again. I will just paint and try to remember that Emerson said, "These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day."