Shades of Pink Improved

It’s a good thing I like to leave a painting on my easel, which is just about 10 feet from my bed.  I get to glance at it in all types of light, and see what I need to do to it.  I noticed that at night, I could not see the stamens, because they were the same value (level of darkness) as the bottom on the tulip cup.  So today, I made a lighter green with my optical white, naples yellow, and sap green.  I applied some of this to the top 2/3 of each stamen with a stippling brush, making sure not to cover up some of the underlying optical darkness.  I also added some optical white to the edges of some of the petals to brighten it up a bit.  I’m very pleased with the results.  The lighter stamens are actually making the insides of the flower appear more luminous and colorful.

Here is a link to the listing in my etsy store.

Shades of Pink, oil on canvas panel, 16″ x 20″

Closeup of Pink Tulip

I think flowers are my favorite part of nature.  In spring, I can’t help but be so enchanted by their color, their beauty, their sweetness, their fragrance.  Here is a closeup of a tulip done in oil.  I used Permalba white, naples yellow, permanent rose, sap green, indigo blue, and burnt umber.

I love to paint the subtle changes in value in the petals, and also the internal structures of the flower.

For some reason this tulip reminded me of my mother.  This painting has a soft quality to it, and is painted mainly in cool tones.

Softness of Spring, oil on panel, 16″ x 20″