Adeniums Oil Pastel Painting

Oil Pastel 30x40cm on black Somerset velvet paper

Another painting created for a wetcanvas challenge. Thanks to Dewi for introducing me to these beautiful flowers.

I chose a black backgound for this painting because I love the way the black makes the oil pastel colour really sing. This also works for soft pastels, and gives a more vibrant look to the painting.

Somerset Velvet is a printing paper. It has a soft springy surface and is ideal for pastels.

Art exchange

I am taking part in a miniature art exchange on wetcanvas.com with the theme "Anything that doesn't walk". I have based most of mine around flowers (surprise, surprise) using watercolour. I experimented with a looser style on several of them ahd share a couple of them here.

Tangled Twigs

Autumn Vines

They are both 10x15 cm (4"x6"). They're fun to do and exciting, as the outcome is surprising. I have a couple more but I need to wait until the recipient receives them before I upload them.

Swinging Datura

 
Swinging Datura

30x40cm watercolour on 140lb Langton wc paper

An appropriate painting to put up at Halloween -

"Datura belongs to the classic "witches' weeds," along with deadly nightshade, henbane and mandrake. Most parts of the plants contain toxic hallucinogens, and datura has a long history of use for causing delirious states and death. It was well known as an essential ingredient of love potions and witches' brews"

Thanks to Wikipedia for this.

Last of the Summer Magnolias

Last of the Summer Magnolias

40x40 cm
Acrylic on boxed canvas

I have a beautiful Magnolia Grandiflora in the garden that is over 10 metres high but I have never completed a painting of the magnolias. Towards the end of summer I thought 'Oh no I'm going to miss it again' so I immediately picked one and plonked it in a jug. It was just past it's prime but as the last one left I decided to go ahead.
I used a black boxed canvas, sketched the design using a white watercolour pencil and started to block in the darks and lights.

 

 Followed by a few more and gradually adding more colour.

This is with more local colour. It always looks quite scary at this stage.

I added more and more white and colour gradually lightening the petals, the next photos show the coming to life of the flower.

 

 I used white gesso to smooth out the form of the petal, and also mixed it with some shadow colours to soften up the graduation from light to dark.

 

I wanted to get the feeling of the heaviness of the flower but to show it's beauty was already disappearing. I hope I achieved some of that feeling.

Sunflowers in watercolour

 

Sunflower Watercolour 30x40cm 

Another sunflower painted for the same challenge as "Sunflower Fire" this time in watercolour.
To start this painting, I liberally applied masking fluid in a random pattern - squiggly lines and splashes over the paper. After that was dry I wet the paper and dropped in yellow, red and blue washes. I then sketched in the sunflowers following the reference but adapting it  to take account of the lights and darks created by the masking fluid and washes.

I used mainly pure colour, allowing it to mix on the paper. Unfortunately, not much of the highlights left by the masking fluid can be seen in the final but it is an interesting exercise to do and it gives a more spontaneous feel to the painting.

Initially I was a little disappointed in the result as I feel I did not leave enough highlights, but now that it is thoroughly dry it is growing on me.
Certainly a technique worth trying again.

Some products featuring this artwork

'Sunflower' Poster by Marionsart

Sunflowers Floral Mouse Mat by Marionsart
View a different mousemat on zazzle