This week’s oil pastel word challenge was “Magenta.” I had so many images that sprang to mind, the most prominent featured fruit or a vegetable – the three were sweet cherries, eggplant or red cabbage. I chose red cabbage because it was so many variations of color mixes came to mind that magenta was a perfect accent color.
This time I chose a pastel paper that is Ochre stained because I wanted the warm glow to peek through the layers of oil pastels. I didn’t know how well this would work with thick layers, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it come through in all the right places.
The subject was a bit complicated, but I really enjoyed painting with such dark colors. Senneliers (a brand of oil pastels) was mainly used because they are as creamy as butter and I wanted really thick opaque application of OPs in certain places.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Great work !
Hi Petronette, thank you so much! Nice to hear from you – please let me know what you’ve been working on.
Wowwwwwww! This is really beautiful work Mary ! Colors are really beautiful . Love it ❤
Hi Violet, thank you so much for your lovely comments!!
You make cabbage a work of art! Thanks for visiting my blog.
You are welcome and thank you so much for your wonderful comment! Who knew red cabbage is so elegant!
Gorgeous and Life Like!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your feedback and comments ~
🙂
Oh, I would LOVE this in my kitchen…so dark and delicious!
Hi Laurie, thank you so much that is a wonderful compliment! I was picturing this painting in a plein aire gold frame – thinking the deep sap greens and magenta would work well against it. Really appreciate it!
Just a marvellous piece of work Mary. The colours and the light are outstanding.
Hi Don, thank you so much for your generous comments – so very nice of you and much appreciated! Surprisingly fun subject, I wasn’t too sure about it in the beginning. Thank you ~
Photo Like ,,,,,wow wow wow
Hi Cat, well thank you very much – you made my afternoon. You’ve got such a great spirit, wonderful. Have fun in the studio!
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww xo
Beautiful work, Mary, so realistic!
Thank you so much Scott, this was a real nice subject to work on – once I got my feet under me in figuring out how to go about it. Thanks!
This is really nice Mary. Lots of detail and the painting looks so three dimensional. Great job.
Hi Mark, thank you very much for your generous comments. Really appreciate it, the 3-dimension took a while to work the 3-d so it made a difference – thank you for mentioning.
You are truly gifted in realistic painting! I was sure it was a photo and it’s the second time already 🙂
Thank you for your beautiful compliments, I really appreciate it. Thanks very much!
As usual Mary, you are rocking!!! Wonderful sketch!!!!
Thank you Rexlin, that means a lot! Appreciate your wonderful comment ~
You’ve elevated cabbage to fine art! Beautiful, Mary!
Cabbage and fine art, who knew in the same sentence! Thank you, really appreciate your beautiful words of encouragement!
Wow, Mary. I’m stunned. This is stellar, and would look amazing in my new kitchen.
You really have outdone yourself with this one.
Hi Shackled and Crowned, your comments are so wonderful! Thank you so much I really appreciate it. Everyone needs a head of cabbage hanging on their kitchen wall – the colors can be so cool! Such a compliment, thank you!
Oh my gosh Mary, I never saw such a gorgeous head of cabbage! A fantastic painting as well!
Ha Elena, I’m laughing as I’m typing this. Thank you so much – gorgeous, LOL, but I’m so glad you are enjoying this painting!
you are amazing! buen trabajo!
Thank you Z! I really was going to do en eggplant because I love their silky-smooth skins, but this little cabbage kept grabbing my attention. You’re so kind – thanks!
eggplant! i buy eggplant often in town! yes, that would have made a pretty study as well,but the cabbage is very special!
This is exquisite! Can you say that about cabbage? 🙂 Who knew I would like cabbage so much!!
So funny Cyndi, LOL “exquisite” cabbage – you are too much. So happy that you enjoyed this piece, after I got into it I started to relax and really enjoyed working those colors.
This is so beautiful, Mary! Lovely colors.
🙂
Hi Marina, thank you! So glad you like the colors – I had to fight with the magenta, blues and purples to keep the piece from looking garish. Appreciate it!!
Wow!!! Mary, I am blown away by this piece. What a wonderful expression of color and texture. You have so much talent!!! Love it!!!
Hi Patricia, this piece was way outside my comfort zone and was worried an hour into it that it was taking on the “ugly” look. So glad I could pull this off – I really like working with OPs for texture, great medium for that. Thank you so much for your generous comment!