Continuing on with this challenge – a complicated rose reference photograph was selected, and oh my I should have simplified the components in the painting and taken everything out except the large middle rose. I’ll do that the next time if I paint this particular scene again, I was just thrilled to get a rose painting under my belt.
#8, Roses Close-Up is an oil pastel (8×10) painted on cream tinted Mi-Teintes Pastel Paper using mainly Senneliers, Mungyo-Gallery and Holbeins. No underpainting was used because the paper couldn’t tolerate it so to get as thin layers as possible for spreading, smoothing and blending the OPs I put OPs onto a piece of foam pipe insulation and then scrubbed and spread it onto the surface. It actually looked like watercolor, it was very cool and was a nice way to get thin layers without filling up the tooth too quickly.
My main objective in painting this was to confront my intimation of painting roses because of the many layers of petals (our David Austins have 120 petals!) – so this was a great practice exercise. There are lots of areas for improvement, but I finally gave roses a try and will do more now that the first is done – using a couple of my own roses for the subject.
Thanks for checking in on this challenge – click onto the image for a larger view.
Reference image from Christina Frenken of pmp.
DON’T TAKE MY IMAGES!! MY ART IS COPYRIGHTED.
PLEASE DON’T COPY OR USE MY IMAGE WITHOUT RECEIVING MY PERMISSION FIRST – SEE DISCLOSURE ON THE RIGHT PANEL.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Lovely and dainty… what’s not to love? 😀
Hi Eva, thank you so much!!
I find roses (flower petals) to be most difficult, what a lovely job you have done here! congratulations!
Thank you so much Holly – I’m afraid the flower painting I’m currently working on is a total loss. Will give it a rest and start fresh tomorrow, flowers are tough to paint with oil pastels. Thank you for your lovely comment.
Your paintings are stunning. Sometimes it is good to walk away and come back later. ❤
Lovely painting!❤️❤️❤️
Thank you Violet!
I LOVE this rendering, Mary. You’ve imbued the subject with layers of a deeper beauty. Gorgeous.
Thank you Elena – those layers of roses intimidate me, but I won’t give up. Thanks for your beautiful comment.
Every week I come here and I am amazed at your ability to manipulate those oil pastels. Great work!
Thanks Mark, it is a great medium that is often misunderstood. OPs are great for manipulating and exploring subjects using different techniques and surfaces. A draw back is that they never dry and that limits what you can do for layering and making changes. It will feel good to get back to seascapes and landscapes after the flower challenge – then I can open the strokes back up and get more loose with the paints.
Lovely. ❀
Blessings ~ Wendy
Thank you Wendy!
I can see that this would have been ‘a handful’ to paint, Mary, but it’s lovely. My Mum’s favourites 🙂
Thanks Jo – exactly a handful, but fun experimenting and seeing her come to life!
… keeping it’s secrets tightly and softly hidden within … Lovely lovely Mary !
Thank you Poppy – wonderful description, exactly. Thanks and glad you enjoyed her.
Love that majestic, huge rose at the center. Lovely layering has been achieved with some depth as well and I must say the subdued coloring is just perfect for her grace. I’m thrilled to see how nicely your flower collection is coming together!
HI Eva, I love how you centered your discussion around Princess Grace, the middle rose – she was great fun to develop, petal-by-petal. The subdued color is what drew me to her – the colors of my wedding flowers. Thank you so much – have a wonderful weekend!
This has made me suddenly nostalgic for my grandmother’s rose garden, which she fiercely protected. (“You get that soccer ball away from my roses!!”) Thanks for bringing back these wonderful memories.
Your welcome and thank you – glad that the painting brought back these wonderful memories.
What a lovely piece x
Thank you for your lovely comment!
I’m in love with your flower collection!
Thank you Resa!
You have chosen lovely colours for your roses – and succeeded in bringing them alive for us! I know you will feel better about rose painting now – your talent seem to have no limits!
Thank you Ann-Christine for your beautiful comment and compliment – means a lot. I have some photographs of roses that I picked from my gardens over the years and my goal is to bring these to life on my canvas. Have a lovely weekend.
Bringing beautiful memories to life is time well spent.
Beautiful rose painting, Mary! I love the layers of rose petals. Thank you for explaining the insulation and the scrub and spread processes. It really help me appreciate the painting even more.
Hi Amy, thank you so much – the layers of rose petals I think is what attracts me to these beautiful flowers. The insulation I found by accident. Artists that paint with soft pastels will use piece of foam pipe insulation to remove subjects or areas in a soft pastel painting and one day I thought why not try to see what it will do with oil pastels. To my surprises by using the lightest touch possible, you can spread OPs paints so think they actually look like watercolor paint. For me, it was fascinating watching the rose petals come alive with this technique.
Thank you for taking time to explain your special technique, Mary. The lightest touch is such a creative approach that created this magnificent painting!
Another fine painting!
Thank you Fiona!!
I love how you’re willing to try new things and conquer intimidation, Mary! The roses look great. A nice break from the generic red rose. 🙂
Hi Millie, thank you – experiment, like you. I’ll keep on trying, as long as you guys don’t mind the successes and failures – in about a month or so I’ll be settling down for some serious seascape and landscape painting that will keep me busy for a while. Have a lovely weekend.
The way you’ve made the rose bloom, so delicate and subtle…:-) ..just beautiful!
Thank you for your lovely comment Maniparna – wonderful description. Thanks ~
So lovely, Mary. Your many flower paintings just reminded me of that nursery rhyme, “Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” 😀
Thank you Sylvia – so beautiful! Love that nursery rhyme – it’s pushing up beautiful yellows and pinks right now ~ Have a wonderful weekend.
This is very nice Mary! I really like the muted colors of the rose, and the perspective you chose. ~Rita
Thanks Rita – it was a fun piece to use the razor, cutting through the paint. I think it was the muted colors that attracted to me paint this scene.
I love how your flowers bloom, Mary! 🙂
Thank you so much Marina! Hope you have a wonderfully quiet and beautiful weekend creating art ~
And you too, my dear Mary! 🙂
I’m certainly glad you didn’t simplify the image, every bit of it is beautiful!
Thank you so much Simla – really appreciate your feedback!
Always fascinates me your art dear Mary, this is so beautiful. Thank you, love, nia
Hi Nia – thank you so much for your lovely comment! Have a wonderful weekend ~
Really beautiful.
Thanks Janet!
Something interesting to me: I’m not used to seeing full-blown roses painted front-on, so to speak. Am I bonkers ?
Thanks M.R. – There probably aren’t that many front-on rose paintings, but I wanted the full experience of building the entire rose so this piece worked out good. Thanks very much!!
So I’m not imagining it ? – whew. That’s a relief.
Foam pipe insulation! What an intriguing way to get thin layers. This is lovely, Mary. Do hope you will now feel confident about painting your David Austins.
Yeah if you can believe it Gallivanta, foam pipe insulation. I read a while ago how soft pastelists will use foam pipe insulation for removal of pastel paint from a surface (if a change has to be made on a painting) and I thought why not see what I can do with it and oil pastels. It helps to use this tool to move the OPs around, saves on the stress of my fingers. Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed it.
Mary, this is a great painting with wonderful details. I like the tiny rosebud, too.
Thanks Janell – those little buds were really fun to paint. Next time I’d like to make them the stars in their own setting.
Beautiful and exquisitely delicate, Mary: outstanding work!
Thank you so much Stefano – really appreciate your feedback!
Oh Mary this one is my fav so far! You can certainly paint flowers! It looks like I could reach out and touch it! You captured all the delicate colors and softness of the petals, giving the feeling of a Victorian era painting. Love how you handled the background too. Bravo!!
Thank you so much Rhonda!! It was good to get the first one under may belt – more roses will be coming down the pike. It does have a Victorian feel – I like that. Thanks again ~
Lovely!
Thanks Michelle!
Mary, I wouldn’t change a thing on this. I love that pink in the background and the other colours only bring this perfectly-coloured rose to the forefront! You’ve created such a beautiful representation of a rose here that it’s almost like you’re keeping up with God – only you create with your paintbrush instead of just being God. 🙂
Hi A! thank you very much – I enjoyed your thoughts on the painting. Funny you wouldn’t change anything, and from my perspective it would take a very different turn from what you see. Thank you for your beautiful comment ~
Beautiful, Mary. I can see how painting the petals would be intimidating (since I have no talent!) but you captured them; I can see the many layers. I also like the two unopened buds on either side.
Thank you Geralyn – great description of the layers. If I painted this again I’d put the two buds up higher on rose canes so they are separated a bit from the main rose. Thanks again ~
How very talented you are Mary…. this is stunning.
Thank you Dorann – you know how to make my night with such a compliment!
Difficult to achieve layered texture, Miss Mary
but you’ve done admirably.
Big Hugs
uncle john
Thank you Uncle John for your seeing and mentioning the layers of textures. The razor and thick slices of paint using my painters knife helped establish the textures. So glad you noticed. Thanks ~
Lovely!
Thanks Jess!!
Now that I have embarked on a challenge (not in painting!) I know how hard you have to work for yours. Lovely rose, Mary.
Thank you so much Evelyne. Yeah, challenges are great for learning and getting things done, but whoa they do test you all along the way. Have fun A-Z!
I absolutely love this! Beautiful work, Mary. 🙂
Thank you so much Jackie!!
I can tell by your words, this was difficult, Mary. With that being said, your painting sent another message…I did it! I think you did a wonderful job…it’s beautiful!
Thanks Jill, I really was a little unsure about this piece but it finally came together towards the end. I really appreciate your beautiful comment, thanks so much.
Beautiful work of art, Mary! I love the colors: so delicate yet impressive!
Thank you Francesco, I wasn’t too sure about the roses while working on it. The colors of this rose were intriguing – glad you enjoyed the piece.
exquisite!
Oh my goodness Cindy I’m thrilled – you know roses better than anyone I know. Thank you so much, I’ve got to admit I was overwhelmed ~ you’ve made my day!