Cyclamen in Winter

We received this beautiful cyclamen from a dear friend who came over for dinner. I have tried to paint cyclamen twice before, but the images were stiff and kind of tough looking. This time, I think I did a better job capturing the way the blossoms both bounce and then curve. I love how the blossoms cascade over the leaves. The pale pink contrasts nicely with an earthy brown background. My new winter bloom to love!

Cyclamen in Winter, 16 x 16, oil on panel.

Two Takes on One Bunch of Flowers

When I look at flowers in the store, sometimes I am certain how I am going to paint them. They may benefit from a full interior around them, a cool background, or a deep, dark warm color, wrapping itself the flowers like a blanket. But, often as naught, I usually don’t know what I am going to do with them. The flowers can surprise me, behaving differently with different surroundings. Here is the same bouquet of flowers, one painted on a large panel with the light environment surrounding the blooms that are settled into a tall vase. Next, the bouquet, cut back, fits right in a square vase, and sits in one of my paint boxes, with just a bit of light spraying over the tops of the flowers.

Big Mixed Bouquet, 36 x 36, 2019. Oil on panel.

Daffodils, Sunflowers, and Gerbers, 14 x 14, 2019. Oil on panel.