Rose Blush
Simplicity is difficult to consistently achieve, but a small painting can insist on it. This little rose was painted with as few strokes as I could manage, and this is an ingredient for a fresh, painterly appearance…a result always appreciated in impressionistic art.
Bright Shining Faces
Though the image is large, the painting is small; though the glass is real, the flowers are imaginative. But the effort served for practice with complementary colors and with quick application of paint, something that frees me from being too tight with edges.
Daisy Spray
Daisies can bow, nod, and flutter in the wind. For this reason, they need to look loose and not so tightly rendered in paint, a fact that can easily escape me when smearing on their petals. So this was a practice for a look of movement and colorful shadows. Daisies never disappoint me.
Lucky Ducks
These are the two stars from last week’s post (Lovely Weather for Ducks) in a close up. They are doing what ducks do, keeping a watchful distance from humans and complacently preening. The shadow they were in cooled their feathers to quiet blues and made the sun spots pop. They expressed no interest, as I did.
Bridal Bells
White cones of soft petals form these make-believe flowers. Here I was practicing light and shadow with warm and cool tones. Some of the best floral painters achieve wonderful color in the shadow areas, and so I strive.
