May Roses
I love May. Many wonderful things have happened to me in May, and many of my favorite people were also born in May. It is also a month of flowers. My soul exhales with relief and delight as the flowers burst forth from their buds to surround us with delicious sights and scents.
I feel so blessed to have a garden.
Here are a couple of the flower friends that greet me each morning.
and, of course, roses.
Who doesn’t love roses? They are a gift to us that surprises us in the garden, says I love you, comforts us when mourning, and inspires our creativity. The rose has been a muse for all time. With its elusive, glorious beauty, it challenges artists in every medium.
“On either side the wild roses, their pink, dewy faces turned to the sun, tumbled over the fences, sprawled on the ground, and filled the air with their pure summery smell.”
So this month I’m sharing a painting of roses that I’ve been working on for a while. I’ve really loved immersing myself into the full glory of this painting. Each time I have engaged in painting this particular piece, It has raised my spirits and brought joy.
I love the effusive beauty of the roses in this painting. It feels almost decadent. You can feel the delicacy of the petals and swim in the scented profusion of flowers.
Click on a portion of the painting below to get a closer view of some slices of the painting.
One of the best sources of instruction for rose painting that I’ve found is a watercolor artist by the name of Susan Harrison-Tustain. She has written at least one book on the subject and also has various videos on YouTube and a DVD for sale as well. Here is a picture of the book. I recommend you find it online and purchase it if you are serious about learning the art of painting roses.
If the exactness of her art and the photographic realism isn’t quite your style, that’s fine. I only offer her as a teacher of the subject. My work is far different from hers as well, but there is much that she has to offer in the way of instruction that you can easily adapt to a looser style.
Here are a few examples from the book:
It is always wonderful to have work that inspires us to reach even further into our own creativity. It is important, however, not to let the exquisite detail of Susan’s work discourage you in your own. Every time we put brush to paper, our own style emerges. This is how it should be. Delight in your own personality and its successes.
The most important piece of advice I can give you is to spend time with a rose. The more familiar you are with its shape and texture, the easier it will be for you to reproduce. Look for the big shapes first: Is it a triangle, circle, square? Once you have the large shape, look for the shapes within that first big shape.
Drawing the rose is probably the most challenging part of the exercise, but once you become familiar with the shapes, you’ll find that the rose is really a very forgiving subject. The shapes are very organic and allow for much experimentation and creativity in each individual rose.
Thanks for joining me once again this month as we explore another watercolor subject. I hope that you are safe and well. Creating art can be a very therapeutic exercise, so I encourage you to take some time with your tubes and brushes. Take out that watercolor paper and have a go, even if it’s just for experiencing the joy of watching water and pigment flow together.
UNTIL NEXT TIME. THANK YOU.
