When I blinked my eyes open just before 5:00 am they met the moon smiling down on us in the soft hues of a clear dawn. I could have gone and got my camera to capture its deep yellow-orange but instead we just gazed at each other until the moment passed.
Now, still early, the day is well underway and I believe with a bit of luck it will be a painting day. Yesterday, in a 20 minute window, I did up this quick 5 x 7 inch study “in the pinks.”
The study is to assist me with what I need to do on a larger 24 x 36 inch canvas “Always Roses” that is in progress.
I wanted to try a new red that I thought might make a better pink for my roses. But I am not sure I am convinced. None the less, my sweetie is taken with this study so I thought I would share it with you.
Each colour has its own learning curve and it seems an infinite set of possibilities as we often discover when we go to paint a wall. I remember watching Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House (1948) a few years ago and the wife in the movie was trying explain to the painters the colour she wanted in the kitchen or something. She is going on and on about how it was the yellow of fresh butter she was looking for but not quite. She gets more and more specific with her description in her attempt to request the exact colour she is wanting. The lead contractor final turns to his side kick who has the pencil and paper and says “you got that!” The other guy is looking at his paper and nodding as he replies “uh-um, yellow!”
In this painting I feel like the wife in the movie in search of just the right pink and my palette is recording my desire about the same as the guy with the pen and paper in the movie “uh-um pink!”
For the larger painting, I had found the perfect light one afternoon but of course the day I started painting it is different and my squished studio space doesn’t offer anything close. So I did the best I could in combining my painting day with the light from the day before. The lighting is completely backwards. However, I wanted to paint so we just went with it.
I decided on an approach of working from the outside in until my subject revealed itself out of necessity. You can get an idea about how this works in these two images.
But is there anything left to say about a still life vase of flowers with roses? After hundreds of years of paintings of this subject it doesn’t seem like there is much. Yet, I cannot resist. I must! In fact all of the other “to do” items have been shoved aside – including getting some food in the house to eat. Well I did find a chunk of cheese and a pear. Not starving – just limited in choices.
I notice now how I shifted the shape of the vase to fit the compositional differences in the frame dimensions I am for the painting. That definitely wasn’t a conscious choice.
Let’s see what the painting in process looks like now though the glow of wet paint is making some parts look lighter than what is actually on the canvas. I am fascinated how the image changed perspective so that the viewer is looking slightly down down on the arrangement. This is not the case with my set up. However, the canvas is so tall that I had to reach way above me to paint.
So here is a canvas that rest while humming an old familiar song of roses and other flowers arranged in a vase. It was painted just for the joy of it and to please me. Thanks for tagging along with me 🙂
Now I am off to see if I can find us the perfect pinks and see if I can finish it with some measure of success!
SPROUT: What colour have you most wanted for something and had the least ability to describe?
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Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.
From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Terrill Welch online Gallery at http://terrillwelchartist.com
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Creative Potager 
Terrill –
You are a woman after my own heart! I resonate with the way you use a footstool on a table top to display your roses.
Further, I appreciate how you buck convention and worked this painting from the outside in.
SPROUT: What color have you most wanted for something and had the least ability to describe?
Bottle green (I know exactly what I mean, most other people don’t).
Yes Laurie bottle green is might difficult to describe and even more difficult to paint I would think. I didn’t really display my roses on a footstool on top of a table though. I just needed them higher to be able to see properly to paint 😉 I would have though if I thought it would work best!
beautiful!!!
Thank you The Wandering Youth! 🙂
Terrill, your timing here for me as far as my regular movie going is concerned is impeccable. I saw Stanley Donan’s classical musical FUNNY FACE in a glorious Technicolor restoration this past weekend, and while I did have some narrative issues with the film, there’s no denying it’s ravishing and sumptuous to look at. Particularly, I am thinking ‘pink’ here in the celebrated early number, when all kind of stylistic creativity is showcased:
I also know MR. BLANDINGS well too, and remember Myrna Loy’s color request. Your own appointments with the easel these past days have yielded some gorgeous art, both in shades of pink and yellow.
I just this past week tried to explain to a worker at Home Depot that I wanted a darker shade of brown for the outside foundation of my home (it needs painting bad) and eventually we settles on a color known as ‘Italian Roast.’ I’ve yet to apply it, but it’s just what the situation needs.
Oh that brown sounds perfect Sam! and thank you for you youtube link as well. Yes, I have been having fun with a wee bit more colour these days. A nice change actually.
P.S. I watched a longer clip from this musical as well and I don’t think I have seen this movie. We will have to put it on our list. A perfect fit for my current adventure into the pinks as well! Thank you again for thinking of it Sam.
Terrill,
You did not have to show me anything else except the first photo of the painting, I fell in love the moment I saw the colorful impressionistic view of flowers. Of course following your creative journey is always, always as lesson is thoughtful, creative expression.
Than I wanted to see the photograph that you took.
There are moments when color is just not the same as when seen in the light of day, and the light of day is the factor, morning light, evening light, gray filled over caste light, etc. Shadows, no shadows, depth or just what is in front of us.
I just have difficulty capturing red, and some orange’s, the information seems to suggest to shoot at a different setting, darker, because reds tend to burn out.
I know what you mean Jeff bout photographing these colours – it is even harder than painting them 🙂 Today I have posted the finished painting and some detail images at http://terrillwelchartist.com/2012/07/13/always-roses-still-life-oil-painting-by-terrill-welch/ where I am much happier with having captured the warmth and depth of this paintings. If you get a chance drop by and see what you think 🙂