Sunday, March 1, 2015

Peony Passion

Peony Passion
Oil on canvas, 6x9
purchase here
I have been SO productive today - finishing three paintings for an upcoming project!  Of all I have painted so far in this theme, this is my favorite!  For a change of pace, I mounted canvas on a hard surface - and started on the white gessoed surface.  Normally, I do not like starting on white, nor do I like painting on the toothy texture of canvas, but today - it worked marvelously!  The more of these I paint, the more my brush automatically strokes out the petals, and it truly does get easier with each one.  I have not painted many roses or peonies in such a zoomed in format - and I am finding a methodical rhythm to the petals.  After sketching them out, I mark the lights with a stroke, and the deepest darks with a stroke.  Then I work from the center of the flower out, building each petal by stroking up from the dark shadow and then down from the upper highlight.  When all petals are in, I brush on a top highlight, barely touching the surface of the petal - so as not to disturb the paint underneath.  I work a little of this color into the background for good color harmony, but not enough to pull your eyes away from the main focus - those beautiful blooms!  This one makes painting number 792 in 792 days - and March has roared in like a lion with a blanket of fresh snow :)

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