Wednesday, September 26, 2018

"Coral Roses" (oil on stretched linen; 20" x 16") sold


sold


"Rose Posy" (oil, 8" x 10")


Recently I've received a rather odd commission request to repaint "Rose Posy" much larger in a vertical format with a glass vase against soft yellow/green background. The client also wanted the roses to be coral instead of pink. I said it would be very difficult, but she insisted that it should be done. The result several weeks later is "Coral Roses".

Many things have happened since I accepted the commission: the tragic death in the family, the trip to California to attend the memorial service, the recovery from my cataracts surgeries, and the Hurricane Florence with daily rains. I struggled with the commission in the middle of all the above.

I found the image of the "Fairy" rose, which I believe is what I had originally painted during Danni Dawson's workshop at her house a few years ago. They are tiny roses and I had to blow them up, shift colors to coral, and somehow rearrange individual flowers to make a pleasing composition. It was probably the hardest commission ever!

What did I learn from this project? Don't accept an unreasonable commission? Not sure. Because I am about to accept another totally-out-of-the-comfort-zone commission. I decided to turn it into a learning experience. I usually paint what's in front of me, or from a reference photo. But what if I don't have a good reference? I will have to make up, be creative. I am constantly evolving as an artist, embracing challenges, instead of doing same stuff all over again. So, bring it on!


"Fairy"

"Hobbes" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold


sold


"Hobbes" is for Robin. Hobbes, an American shorthair, had globe-like eyes with such an interesting mix of color. And he had age freckles in his nose. Robin has had many cats in her life. It's been four years since he passed, but none of them will ever be as cherished as Hobbes.