Dew Drop

"Dew Drop"
10" x 8"
Oil on wrapped canvas
It had rained, yet only one droplet remained on the fragrant saucer of this rose. I tilted her to dispose of the dew drop after I photographed her, since I don't know of a good reason to leave water on the petals. 

I've been painting house portraits. They seem to come in clusters, and this last batch were all rush orders for real estate agents who give them as closing gifts. I'm caught up now, so you should see me here more often.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Carolkeene.com
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Blue For You

"Blue For You"
12" x 12"
Pastel on black canvas
I photographed this rose on a walk around my neighborhood one morning six months ago to the day. The dew drops were not from rain or overnight dew, but a good morning soaking from the homeowner's garden hose.  I walked my dog past this same address a couple of days ago and found something completely different. The rose bush was banked in deep snow, and was pierced with icicles that had snapped from the second story gutters. Winter in Illinois turns me blue for you. 

 Here's another attempt at a rose in pastel — two of my favorite things.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Miss Squiggle

"Miss Squiggle"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
I wanted to paint a rose tonight, but  as luck would have it, my evening got peppered with interruptions. I put on Schubert's Symphony No. 9 in C Major, about one hour exactly and squeezed paint onto my palette.  The music guided my progress. I put down values of pink, added warmth, smeared on the greens and then picked up my rubber tipped shader and squiggled to the last movement, the Allegro Vivace!  Can you tell?  Yikes!  Talk about making a mark… 

This is not my usual kind of rose, nor has it been a usual kind of day.  Miss Squiggle, here, has cheered me up.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com

Festival Rose

"Festival Rose"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard 
I found her blooming in a park that coincided with a festival whose celebrants wore many of these same colors.  I was surprised that she hadn't been snipped and tucked behind an ear, or clamped between teeth while dancing.  

It's harder to paint small roses than large ones. There just isn't as much room to vary the colors from one edge of a petal to the other. And I use about the same brushes to do both.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com

Coral Rose

"Coral Rose"
12" x 9"
Oil on wrapped canvas






















I had photographed all of the woman's white roses when she invited me to come to her backyard to see her pride and joy. Sprawled against the backdrop of her painted stucco house grew a bush covered with outrageously beautiful coral roses. I shot one picture and my battery died. This was it. The only one I was able to document.  Sadly, she has since moved and I've not been invited through the gate to see if she took the coral rosebush with her. 

 Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com

Tangled Up In Blue

"Tangled Up In Blue"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
Miss Rose's rumpled interior indicated that she had unfurled her petals quickly, like an amateur stripper eager for her big reveal. By later in the day when she'd be wrinkle-free, the gorgeous blue of the sky would no longer be interested in tinting her outstretched petals. 

I'm in a Bob Dylan and rose kind of mood.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com


Ten Shades of Grey

"Ten Shades of Grey"
6" x 6"
Pastel on sanded paper
I looked at my rose photos today without wearing my rose coloured glasses and chose this one to paint in every one of my ten shades of grey. Ten seemed enough, whatever would I do with, say… fifty?  

I'll be back to painting in oil in a day or so. I finally decided on the subject of a large canvas. It's unlike anything I've painted before, so I'm anticipating a few headaches, especially in the drawing.  Yikes. I must be anticipating time on my hands in the new year.

Carol

Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com


By Any Other Name...

"By Any Other Name"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
It's been three months, well nearly, since I've painted a rose. I've dabbled with new subject matter, dipped a toe into the warm waters of another medium and generally spread my wings, but here I am, back to my roots, the place I long to be — at my easel with a rose. And yes, she smelled as sweet as ever. 

 Carol  

 Brushstrokes@comcast.net
Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com


Violaceous Velvet

"Violaceous Velvet"
12" x 12" 
Oil on wrapped canvas
Her petals unfurled from the tight, yellow bud at her core, to the violaceous milkiness of her velvety corolla. 

It's been months since I've painted a rose, but not for lack of interest. I got bogged down in landscapes and house portraits, but today my heart needed to be involved with my favorite subject matter, no matter what.

Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Rose Tile

"Rose Tile"
10" x 10"
Oil on hardboard
I discovered this rose tile embedded in a piece of furniture in the barn with oriental rugs on the first floor, furniture on the third, and an astounding array of unique decorator items on the main floor.  I wandered and photographed beautiful things for an hour after I finished my plein air landscape painting, while at Ginger Blossom's.  

It was difficult to get the softly glazed edges on the hard surface of the tile. I may put in more highlights, but they weren't really there. It was a satin glaze, but that could have been due to the lighting or its age. I'll let it grow on me then decide.

Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com
My Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Priscilla

"Priscilla"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
Slowly, she unfurled one petal after another to reveal her tender bits. Priscilla's heavenly scent would now attract a myriad buzzing suitors to gather her fragrant pollen. Imagine the taste of the honey this beauty might flavour. 

It's been a while since I've painted a rose, my favourite subject matter.
 
Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com
My Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Blush

"Blush"
 24" x 24"
Oil on wrapped canvas
She blushed when he told her she was gorgeous. "Well, you are," he said. "Gorgeous," he repeated. She blushed even redder, deeper toward her core. Her petals curled, her mouth opened in disbelief. The rose sat serenely and basked in the glow of his compliment. 

Once again, I have to sing the praises of my two new colours; Cad Scarlet and Indian Yellow.  Oh, my, they seem to have been made for one another. Those two and a dab of Cobalt Blue made this a joy to paint. I'm in love! 

Carol

Receptive

"Receptive"
12" x 12"
Oil on wrapped canvas
Although, seemingly, this rose did nothing but sit in front of me tonight, she was, in fact, receptive to all of my senses — being adored through sight, being smelled, being touched, and yes, even being tasted.  As my last painting of the year, she was thoroughly enjoyed. 

 I purchased seven canvases from a particular manufacturer this week. When I blocked in this rose today, I stopped painting and went back to the store to buy twenty-eight more. The surface is so receptive to paint, the way I love to apply it. Painting this rose was a joyful experience!  I look forward to many more evenings like this ... with great joy!

Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com
My Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

My Lady Love

"My Lady Love"
20" x 16"
Oil on Hardboard




















Like a mistress awaiting her lover, she languished quietly until the bristles of my brush began stroking her dark crevices, her milky highlights. That's when this beauty came to life.

I hankered, yearned, longed to paint this rose while I was busy with other projects. White roses are my favourite subject matter because of all the colour in the shadows.  

Carol

Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com
My Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net