Four Tulips

"Four Tulips"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

Available through Tvedten Fine Art

I love the white bottoms of tulips. These were a particularly satisfying color to mix. I used a combination of Alizarin Crimson and Pyrrol Red. Luscious!

Sketchy, yet satisfied.

 "Lilies and Tulips (sketch)"

12 x 9 inches, oil on canvas

$150

Available here

I brought the lovely Easter lily home, and paired it with a Kaffir lily that hangs around my studio, blooming every few years, but mostly just filtering my air and looking green and pretty. 

 I thought I'd work out my thoughts about a larger composition, and start with a sketch - and I loved the way this turned out. I've tweaked the still life ( the tulips died), and am already working on the expanded version.

 

Tulips through time

"Tulips in Silver"

12 x 9 inches, oil on canvas

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Tulips, as every flower painter knows, need to be painted fast. Under strong light, they move and open! It's like a slow dance. I've been painting these red and white beauties for years - they grow in my mom's yard (along with almost everything else I paint during the warmer months). Here are the same tulips from two years ago, from four years ago, and even from six years ago. 

 Do any of those look familiar? How long have you been with me, dear reader?

Excuse me, but could you please hold still?

 

"The Green Pushpin"

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$200

click to buy

If you've ever tried to paint tulips, you know that they are big movers. It's almost eerie - like they're alive or something! Especially if you've got a light on them, they open, swivel on their stems, make faces, do improv comedy sketches, etc...

It's actually pretty fun to try to capture them. I like models who shift around slightly during a pose for similar reasons. I know artists who are driven insane by models who don't "hold still," but I truly feel their small movements help me capture a more naturalistic vision of them.

Speaking of figure painting, I will be back at it tonight, and couldn't be happier!

Here's my mess of a palette for this one - as you can see it's not limited in any way. I recently came by some new (to me) paint, and I'm trying out some of the colors.

And here's the preparatory sketch:

"Sketch for 'The Green Pushpin'" 

approx. 8 x 5 inches. oil on Arches oil paper.
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Purple Tulips

6 x 8"
oil on canvas
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We are having an early spring in this part of the world - and I can prove it right here! Last year, these tulips from my mom's yard weren't up until the first week of April - see them in my painting from April 7th, 2009.

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I've got a $1 auction going on over at Ebay right now, and plenty of free shipping offers in the Etsy shop - so no excuse not to get an early start on your mother's day shopping - or your Easter decorating! And if you know someone who might like to check out my blog, please click on the little envelope icon at the bottom of the post to easily email them a link! Thanks.