Tag: red

Red Rose in oil pastel

Published on by kmgunnart1 Comment

A vibrant red rose in bloom against a grey-blue background, with the brilliant green of the leaves and stem catching the light.  Done in oil pastel on an 11 by 14 inch canvas panel, this was only my second big oil pastel piece.  The oil pastel on the canvas makes an interesting optical effect, and gives it almost a 3D look.

The Red Rose in oil pastel

single red rose in oil pastel
Red Rose 1, oil pastel on 11 x 14 inch canvas panel, original available $140 USD

Links to purchase this artwork

Original is available, locally or through Daily PaintWorks which uses PayPal for the transaction.  Prints in various different sizes can be ordered through my Pixels store, while accessories and swag can be found at my RedBubble store.

Plans for more roses worked in oil pastel

I really like the overall effect of the rose in oil pastel, but had not yet worked out how to get the colors close enough to avoid the white outline. While I plan to do more red roses in the oil pastel medium, I would like to do them larger … like maybe 18 x 24 inches, as I now have the panels. The downside of working so big will be that I won’t be able to scan them for prints as my scanner only goes up to 11 x 17 inches. I also have 12 x 16 inch oil primed paper, which I can scan with only half on inch off (which will make the original different than prints).

Of course, there are many more colors of roses to draw and paint as well. I personally love pink and yellow roses, even more so than the red ones. There is also the challenge of doing a white rose in color, as I’ve only done those in black and white.

Red Tulips watercolor painting

Published on by kmgunnart2 Comments

I am still catching up here on this new blog, and today I am spotlighting my red tulips painting, done in watercolor in an Impressionistic style, using eye-catching red and green on white watercolor paper. This piece makes for an interesting contrast to the more exact Johnny-Jump-Ups I also painted in watercolor.

Inspiration behind the painting

These were a certain sign of spring when I was growing up in Indiana.  Previous occupants had planted both red and yellow tulips in between the decorative shrubs, and these would bloom even before the purple irises on either side of the back gate. Our house and garage were both white, with a light gray concrete foundation, so when I stumbled upon this reference photo showing red tulips against a white background, I knew I had found the perfect photo for me.

As a child, I remember being fascinated by the cup shape of the fully open tulip flowers. As an adult artist, I now find myself more interested in the tulip buds as they are opening. This is likely because of the promise and potential inherent in opening flower buds, and what could better embody the promise of spring than flower buds as they are just starting to open?

red tulip buds opening against a white wall, watercolor painting on paper
Red Tulips, 9 x 12 inch watercolor painting on paper, original available $100 USD

Purchase information for Red Tulips

The original is 9 by 12 inches, sealed with Dorland’s wax to protect against humidity and spills, and I can ship to buyers outside the region also.  Prints are available at my Pixels store, and accessories are at my RedBubble store. My personal favorite accessory is this painting on the front of a spiral notebook, available at both Pixels and RedBubble.