Mr. Grumpy’s Cheery Roses

“Mr. Grumpy’s Cheery Roses”, painted from life, finished from photo after flowers died, oil on canvas, 12×9”

After taking cuttings from my neighbor’s yard, I painted these from life but had to finish them from photo after flowers died, I experimented with starting with an acrylic underpainting. You can see photo of set up and work in progress below…

“Mr. Grumpy’s Cheery Roses”, painted from life, finished from photo after flowers died, oil on canvas, 12x9” — “Mr. Grumpy’s Cheery Roses”, painted from life, finished from photo after flowers died, oil on canvas, 12×9”

After taking cuttings from my neighbor’s yard (with permission this time) I painted these from life but had to finish them from a photo after the flowers died. I experimented with starting with an acrylic underpainting but I’m so unskilled with acrylics that it didn’t really create a useful value-study underpainting as you can see below.

Clockwise from top left: Photo of flowers when I started, acrylic underpainting, getting started with my focal rose, then some darks and leaves

I’m still trying to find my way with roses. I’m quite attracted by simplified, more abstract ways of painting flowers, but my own tendencies towards detail always seems to override my intentions. Maybe if I painted really large, I could put in all the details, turning them into abstract shapes? Hmmmm…..

Flowers and leaves blocked in, background and glass and stems added, darks and lights restated, final.

Tags floral art, Oil Painting, Rose Oil painting, Still Life

6 replies on “Mr. Grumpy’s Cheery Roses”

Really pretty, Jana!! The only thing to maybe change are the stems as they are so orderly that they have their own design and I keep looking at it. But then maybe that is a plus and just my own little quirk! The roses are lovely!! Thank you, C-Marie

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Thanks for the kind words and the interesting observation about the stems. What you are noticing is how interesting I found that pattern. I actually wanted to do even more with them, increase the contrast but now I’m glad I didn’t or they would have completely stolen the show!

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Great anyone can tackle roses

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Yes, you’re right. They are a challenge to sort out but such a pleasure to study and try to capture.

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I left a comment on Facebook and I’ll say it again, this is a beautiful painting. I love the arrangement and how you placed it with the cast shadows and light to the right of it. Your background is as beautiful as the roses and vase.

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Thanks Julie. I replied on FB too and I appreciate you taking the time to comment. It made my day to receive your compliment about my composition because I always struggle with spatial relations and composition doesn’t come naturally to me. I struggled with just about everything in this painting but had some moments of delight while painting the pattern of light and I’m glad you liked it. Thanks!

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6 replies on “Mr. Grumpy’s Cheery Roses”