A Series of Violets

I try to paint as many violets as I can before they take over my garden and I tire of their populous ways. The paintings are typically tiny, just like the little purple blooms. When they first appear, I am so glad to see their purple faces nestled in with the bright green leaves. They scatter throughout my garden beds, speckling the dark earth with purple and green dots. Here are a few of the images I managed to complete prior to their passing.

Violets and Little Orange Blooms, 8 x 8, oil on panel.

Violets and Bright Orange Light, 10 x 10, oil on panel.

Violets 4, 8 x 8, oil on panel.

Violets 2, 8 x 8, oil on panel.

First Violets, 8 x 8, oil on panel.

Daffodils and Violets, 8 x 8, oil on panel.

Ranunculus

I love Ranunculus, with their swirly round bloom heads, and a morphed resemblance to both roses and peonies. They look Sweet all on their own but also special when nestled in with other blooms such as staff.

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.