I have always wanted to paint a poppy field and have finally been able to settle down long enough to get a feel for how to paint poppies in a distance and a few stems up close.
Another first – Poppy Field, #1 is an oil pastel (8×10) painted on an artist canvas board that was prepared with clear gesso. An underpainting done in watercolor was first completed to give me a feel for the different forms and colors. Mostly used Senneliers, Holbeins and Neopastels.
Reference image was from ESP a photographer with pmp.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Awwww…. and you know I love poppies! Beautiful, Mary! 🙂 xxxx
Thank you Marina! Glad you enjoyed this one!
VERY dreamy Mary . Imagining all those little poppy heads fluttering and waving …
Just loving the colours singing out from the screen …. bet it looks fabulous close up 🙂
Hi Poppy, so funny you mention up close (it is more crisp) – was just talking about that with my artist friend who is also specializes in oil pastels. These pieces always look best in person and can’t tell you why, although we’ve spent plenty of time trying to figure it out. Thank you for your generous comments – I’ve wanted to paint fields of flowers for the longest time. This was my breakthrough and have a second in the making.
To gorgeous, I should add poignant, as we mark the beginning of the First World War this coming week.
Yes and that is the sadness that is often associated or symbolized with poppy fields – too much war that tears at fabric of everyone’s souls.
Poppy landscapes are captivating, aren’t they? Gorgeous.
Thanks Gallivanta for your lovely feedback!
Marvelous color, Mary!
Thanks Elena!
Love the light, colors composition❤️
Beautiful as always dear Mary❤️❤️❤️
Thank you very much Violet for your lovely comment! I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
A field of poppies always seems to me a sad sight, Mary, though I love them individually. 🙂
I understand Jo sometimes seeing these fields can be upsetting if it symbolizes war time deaths. Thank you for commenting though, appreciate your thoughts and feelings.
Delightful! I can feel the warmth of the day emanating from your composition!
Btw, have you ever considered posting n annotated step-by-step demo of one of your compositions?
Hi Tom, thank you very much – appreciate your feedback. I take photographs all the way through my paintings (most of the times, unless I forget), they help me analyze where I’m taking the piece as well as a historical record when I go back to visit one of the paintings. I’ll post a series of progression of a painting in the near future. Thanks!
Great! I’ll look forward to seeing your works unfold.
Thanks Tom!
It really is striking Mary. The colours sing and the composition wonderful.
Thank you Don for your lovely comment – really appreciate it!
Mary, I love the colors and the shadow play with the trees on the field. Beautiful.
Hi Jane, thank you so much for your feedback – I was worried about the colors being too bright, but it worked and then helped to cool the scene off with the cool colors in the shadows. Thanks for mentioning ~
Wow! I love the bright colors.
Mamie, you make my day! Thanks very much ~
This is gorgeous, Mary! That red is screaming and I love the trees’ shadow.
Ah Francesca thank you very much – so happy you are enjoying the painting. Thanks for commenting on the trees shadows, I loved developing them.
Wonderful perspective of a poppy field! The colors are sublime and the balance is just perfect! Love how the shadows of the trees reflecting on the poppy field, I always enjoy how you pay attention to small details which are very important for achieving the proper effects! You light up a poppy fire on this canvass for sure!
Thank you so much Eva for your generous comments. It has taken me a while to paint a field of flowers, especially poppies and now that I got my first behind me there are several more settings I can’t wait to get too. Truth be told, the painting is sharper than my photograph – I’m talking a basic digital camera/photography class in the Fall so I’ll be able to take better photographs of my art. Thank you!
It’s gorgeous, Mary, the color, the gradation of poppies into deeper space, and am I just imagining that your tree challenge is really paying off?
Thank you Cynthia for your feedback, I finally got down to business and worked this piece out. Thanks for noticing the trees, ha – I talked myself through this scene a whole lot!
Whatever you say, Mary. 😉
I like it.
[grin]
Thanks M.R.!!
It reminds me of the Land of Oz!
Thanks Dorann and off we’ll go –
What a beautiful scene Mary! Love this painting with all it’s texture and color! The trees are the star!
Thanks Rhonda for your beautiful comment and for noticing the trees!
oh how beautiful.. like stepping into a dream!
Thank you very much Lisa, I have several more planned – there is something very appealing to see landscape covered like a blanket with flowers.