A while ago I decided to do series of Lily’s (10 or so pieces) with oil pastels, the first was completed three weeks ago. It will take some time to work my way through the series as other paintings to be worked on at the same time (i.e. two Maine pieces [8×10’s] as a gift for my husbands’ birthday and it’s starting to feel like crunch time).
Here is the second lily painting called, Lily Pads (7×5, black Strathmore pastel paper) using mostly Holbeins, Senneliers and neopastels. The reference image (Joy Anfous of pmp) was taken at an inside botanical garden show. I was drawn to this scene because of the simplicity of the setting, quietly muted water and the gorgeous greens. Hope you enjoy!
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Mary I see in the reader that you’ve posted quite a few things today. I thought you’d want to know that I and at least one other blogger that I know did not get any emails after about noon today. So just in case this was a widespread issue you might want to repost these. Blessings, Natalie 🙂
Lovely, Mary. I’m enjoying your work. Thanks!
Thank you Bette for your nice comment!
So lovely.
Thanks Mona!
Mary, those leaves, flower are so beautifully done ! Shadows are amazing ❤️
Really beautiful and soft painting ❤️
Hi Violet, thank you very much – the shadows is what makes this painting. The more I did, the greater the 3-d appearance unfolded. Appreciate your wonderful comments!
Beautiful work! I’ve always wanted to try working with this medium 🙂
Very nice to meet you Nikolette! Thank you for your nice comment, I love oil pastels and hope you give them a try. I saw your beautiful works on your blog, this medium would be a wonderful compliment to your art.
Mary, those leaves are spectacular! The light and shadows are amazing. I see how they curves down. Great composition as well.
Thanks Patricia! I had a good time painting those leaves, could feel myself get totally immersed in what was happening with the pads when painting the shadows and lights – they gave it energy.
Very beautiful!
Thanks Joelle Jean!
Beautiful!
Thank you very much Marius!
Outrageously lovely, Mary!!! 🙂
LOL you are so enthusiastic! Thank you – I do enjoy and appreciate it!
Just gorgeous!
Thank you so much for your nice comment!
🙂
Nice one Mary. The lily pads really pop and look so 3-dimensional. Great job.
Thanks Mark! I love working those darks and shadows, allows the painter to take a 2-d surface and magically turn it into a 3-d vision.
I love the colors and the light 🙂 Annie
Thanks Annie for your feedback – green and blue, a great combination.
Love the light!
Thank you very much!
Oh this is really lovely Mary !
I think something wondrous is happening just out of the picture and it’s glow is reflected in those lily leaves in their luminosity …
I love blues and greens together ….
Thanks Poppy! Something was happening with those leaves as I was painting, every time I stood back a new pattern of veins and colors revealed themselves. It was an exciting piece to work on with oil pastels.
I love to hear your thoughts on your painting .True Artist .
Beautiful, Mary: can’t wait to see the complete series! Will the ten pieces be meant to be shown together? Great job! 🙂
Hi Stefano, thank you. I’ll show them together on the blog – but I don’t know if they will really be meant to be shown together, because some are quite different – elegant, but different and probably won’t compliment each other. We’ll see – never know.
Mary, this is so very nicely done – beautiful!
Blessings ~ Wendy
Thank you Wendy, your comment means a lot to me.
Love the composition, the lighting, the rendering, well, just about everything!
Thank you Elena for your generous comments – I loved the scene from the first I set my eyes on it. Something about it spoke to me.
Love it Mary!
Thanks Doron for your nice comment! I’m on to my next! Hope you’ve had a good day ~
Always good after all I am here to talk about it.. OK it was raining and it stopped us going outdoor, but I managed to prepare some work for a club exhibition in November. I liked the light you managed to achieve on the lilis and it always very soft feeling in your paintings, super have agood day yourself.
You’re so generous with your comments. Doron, you’re right about the soft feeling with my paintings, it’s what I try to paint into them – sometimes I succeed and sometimes well I’m not so lucky. Too bad about your rain today, but at least you got work done for your exhibition in November – best wishes you’ll do well.
Thanks Mary you always deserve what I say. You are a great friend to have and amazing artist to learn from, thanks.
What a beautiful lily, Mary!!! 🙂
Thanks Marina for your kind comment. Hope you had a wonderful day!
Your paintings inspired me so much that I treated myself with some basic colors in oil pastels for artists to have some fun at trying out its texture & feel how it mixes & blends but I’m only scribbling, nothing serious 🙂
Thanks for the inspiration!
Now that’s what I’m talking about!! I’m thrilled that you are going to give oil pastels a go – you’ll have a lot of fun exploring. Thank you for your comment, it was the best for this artist – inspiration goes both ways. Thanks ~
We all matter & we all count don’t we 🙂
You got that right – take care!
Pretty!
Thanks Amira!