White Flowers

Bush Roses

Watercolor 11 X 7.25

White flowers are always a fun challenge. You need to keep them white while still laying in interesting shadows. I loved this picture of the roses in the sunlight at Portland's Rose Garden. This painting has an abstract feeling to it with the roses floating cloud like in the picture, cropping it in a little would eliminate that some, but after doing some abstract work I kind of like that feeling. I did the painting by masking out the flowers and doing the dark background first. Personally, I think it's just as easy to paint the dark colors around the subject without using the mask and all the steps that takes. 

Fauvism

Yellow Road

Acrylic on paper 18 X 24

My Saturday Abstract class was on Fauvism. They were the artists who wanted to deviate from the norm of realistic renderings after photography became popular. People no longer needed an artist to do a portrait, they wanted a photographer. Instead of smooth strokes, they painted with short strokes of varying hues. This painting is my attempt at that style. Only the red roof is smooth for contrast.  I outlined my subjects with black at the end. We painted very quickly without over thinking it. It was harder than it looks! It sort of reminds me of Van Gough, at least that's what my husband remarked. It was fun getting out of the usual way of doing things.