Who knew? After spending time going through hundreds of reference images for my final #15 flower painting, it dawned on me that I had taken a photograph from my perennial garden last year that I’ve been waiting to paint ~ and the decision was settled pretty quickly.
#15 In My Garden, an oil pastel (6×6) was painted on green heavy cardstock textured paper using mainly Sennelier (soft and creamy as butter) and Mungyo-Gallery oil pastels. Some blending took place with my fingers and a razor, but mostly I just kept on applying layers of deep, rich oil pastels that worked exceptionally well on this paper.
This painting is based on a tiny corner in the perennial garden lined with rock – the flowers were spilling out and even though the area was shaded there was just enough sunlight to make the flowers pop. Although, much to my chagrin and for the life of me I couldn’t get a picture that showed the richness of colors (yellows and orange) and setting of the painting, you’ll have to take my word for it. The flowers are Coreopsis of which I already painted ~ click onto the image for a larger view.
Hope you are having a lovely weekend. I’m going out to transfer some perennial’s before the local rabbit totally devours them, trim some hedges and snip back our pink magnolia tree that we affectionately call, Miss Betty.
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Oil Pastels by Mary 
I love the yellow tones… It reminded me of Degas, maybe Cézanne… Beautiful dear Mary
All the best to you. Aquileana 😀
Such a beautiful comment and compliment Aquileana – thank you so much. Degas is one of my favorite artists that I was lucky enough to actually see some of both their works in a recent exhibition in Fort Worth, always a thrill to see the masters paintings in person. Have a wonderful weekend my friend.
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A bit behind on my reading. So this is it…the last one in the challenge. I do like your challenges, Mary. Most enjoyable. I dearly love the little wall in this painting. I can almost feel its coolness and the coolness of the rocks on the ground up against the flaming intensity of the blooms. it’s strange I know when they’re both painted with warmer colours. I actually think it’s not the wall or the stones that create the coolness but the shadows beneath the greenery that pulls this out so much. But in the end, it’s a great conclusion to the challenge and I’ve enjoyed all 15 immensely! Now…tell me, you’ve named your magnolia, but does it speak to you? Cause if you’re out there talking to magnolia trees and they’re answering, I’m thinking we need to get you an indoor garden where it’s a little cooler…..LOL.
Hi A!, not to worry there are no words exchanged between Miss Betty and me. Really enjoyed your description of the scene, because on a hot TX day in the shade those rocks are cool to touch and you are so right the deep shadows give the hot scene a bit of cooling off. Thank you really for staying with the challenge and glad you enjoyed the run.
I love this painting!
Thanks very much Elizabeth!
The yellow flowers are so vibrant! Lovely!
I love that you named a magnolia tree Miss Betty.
Thank you so much and glad you enjoyed the vibrancy of the yellows – shows better in person. Ah Miss Betty, she’s a real beauty in the Spring and early indications is that next year we should see the same abundance of buds.
Hope you had a lovely weekend puttering in the garden. #15 is a beauty. 🙂
Thanks Susan, the garden work was great!
Great idea to end the challenge painting a portion of your garden. Beautiful, as always. Hope your gardening was a success this weekend and your rabbit steered clear.
Thank you Geralyn – it was a fun and unexpected painting. Gardening was a total success this past weekend, worked hard but was well worth it. The rabbit is too intimidated to get close to the where I transplanted the flowers, which seem to be thriving. Have a great week.
You too, Mary!
Lovely painting as always. Please give Miss Betty my regards:)
Thank you Elena! Miss Betty says thank you too!
Oh, that is so lovely and cheerful.
Thanks so much Fiona – glad you enjoyed the painting.
Lovely painting. Your garden must be lovely, too. Have fun out there.
Thank you Brenda! The garden could be even more lovely if the rabbit would chew on the weeds across the way at the pond – as soon as new shoots start poking up, the rabbit is right there, lol! Thanks so much ~
Yes, the rabbits ate a quarter of my tulip greens this year. Must have been hungry after the long winter.
I’m happy to report that the flowers I transplanted are thriving nicely after just 3 days! Darn your rabbits – hopefully you’ll the tulips will still bloom. The squirrels around here love tulips bulbs but leave daffodils alone – who knew?
The rest are blooming. I haven’t seen the rabbit since. Maybe tulip green didn’t agree with him.
Wonderful painting, Mary! This little corner looks so peaceful and nice. I hope you had a lovely weekend. 🙂
Thank you Jackie – it’s a very quiet area in the garden (I think that’s why the rabbits like it, lol). Have a wonderful week ~
Thanks and you do the same. 🙂
Your garden corner is as beautiful and colorful as your blog, Mary…. really a treat to the eyes…. 🙂
Thank you Maniparna! Glad you enjoy it ~ have a wonderful week ahead.
🙂 …
Loving these warm colors so much, Mary!!!
Beautiful painting.
Ah Cha thank you very much, you paint with such rich colors in OPs that I’m loving your comment.
All is bright in your little corner, there, and you should be so pleased and proud (and in some ways relieved!) to have finished this challenge, Mary. You done good. Congratulations and hugs!
Thank you so much Cynthia not only for your comment today, but staying with the challenge supporting and encouraging me along the way. I usually panic at the beginning of challenges, and then sort of settle in finding a ebb n’ flow to the process and subjects. This has been one of the most enjoyable for me – the mindful process of learning and experimenting with color and technique was totally engaging and I look forward to another in the not so distant future. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday in Maine and beautiful Spring-like week ~ thank you my friend.
You can come and paint our garden any time! Beautiful, Mary.
Oh my Audrey, your gardens are gorgeous! If only I could be there, you’d have to kick me out for I would know no days end – the subjects too many to draw upon. Thank you for your beautiful comment!
A golden show that makes me want to go and sit in that garden! 🙂
Oh my thank you Dorann! You’d have a nice time just enjoying the view and all the birds and other animals that kind of make their way into the yard! Have a wonderful Sunday and week ahead my friend.
A little shaft of sunlight is all it takes sometimes Mary and a picture is made …. here you’ve cornered 😉 it with your lovely cheery coreopsis pastel painting !
Marvellous you to finish your personal goal xx
Wondering whether we’ve ever had a glimpse of Miss Betty or is she shy and retiring 🙂
Love your description Poppy – thank you so much. Thank you so much for following along, I really enjoy seeing my paintings through your eyes. I’ll find another goal . . . hm could be flowers in landscapes. Never know. Oh Miss Betty – she was quite the showoff this year, simply elegant with all her pink flowers. Her sister of white magnolias are not showing and the fragrance is most incredible as are the large size of the flowers. Have a wonderful week ahead!
A fine composition, Miss Mary, with excellent colour choices
uncle john
Hi Uncle John, hope you are well. Thank you very much for your lovely feedback – it was the perfect subject to end the challenge with. Have a lovely week!
A beautiful part of your garden that you have brought to life for us Mary. 💚
Thank you so much Karen – really appreciate that you came along for the challenge show. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
Simply gorgeous – a picture I should love on my study wall. Compliments to Miss Betty. Have a lovely Sunday.
Thank you so much Paul for your lovely comment and compliment, can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Oh Miss Betty had a nice hair cut yesterday, lol and now we’ll let her generate all her strength for another brilliant performance next Spring. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday and best wishes for the coming week.
What a wonderful finish to your fantastic challenge! It was a joy to watch it unfold Mary!
Thank you so much Rhonda – really appreciate your support along the way!! It was a great challenge in so many ways, no for the next! Have a wonderful week ~
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Thank you so much my friend!
Love the rich layering here Mary. That yellow totally makes up a happy canvass and a great contrast against the rich, deep green backdrop! Most charming little corner you got there, makes me smile and all cheerful! Would love to have a garden and work on it, to bad I don’t.
Was an absolute pleasure to take this journey with you down the flower avenue, most delightful and beautiful, it doesn’t gets any better then this! Thank you Mary and have a wonderful weekend and a most beautiful May my dearest friend!
Hi Eva, painting this one yesterday was a complete surprise – I had so many other possibilities picked out. Funny you mentioned the layers, it was such a great combination of finger blending, smashing, scraping with a razor and then layering more oil pastels – doing the process for as long as the surface would allow. Over the summer I’ll paint more from the garden, wish you could enjoy the fragrance of our blooming magnolia’s right now – gorgeous and thick with perfume. Thank you for supporting my flower challenge, your generous feedback and compliments go a long way to help build my confidence and courage in tackling new subjects.
Hope you have a wonderful Sunday and best wishes for the new week ahead. Thank you for the May wishes my dear friend.
The layers of deep, rich oil pastels made the this painting so beautiful. This painting is special, as it gives us a chance to enjoy a corner of your elegant garden and imagine more… 🙂 Thank you, Mary! ❤
Thank you so much Amy – that’s is one of the reasons why I love OPs, vibrancy and richness. Glad you enjoyed the little garden corner – have a wonderful day!
Whatever flower you chose, it’s always beautiful, Mary! Our rabbits are all over the yard. 🙂
Choose…sorry for the type. 😦
Not to worry ~
Thank you so much Jill – perhaps one day I’ll try a peony. We’ll see, I have to have more patience for painting details. Oh those rabbits are something else aren’t they? Found another one yesterday, sneaking around and looking straight at me like, “what, why are you bothering me?” Have a wonderful Sunday.
Oh, I can see the richness of the colors, my dear Mary. What a beautiful corner of your garden it is too! 🙂
Thank you so much Marina – wish you could see the brilliance of the colors in person. I might have a few more areas of the garden this year to paint ~ have a wonderful Sunday and the best to you in the week ahead.
I’m happy to hear that, Mary!
ps. I’m sure I see the brilliance through your painting! 😉
Beautiful painting, Mary. What a great idea to paint something form your own garden. I love that you’ve got a name for your magnolia tree. 🙂
Hi Sylvia, thanks very much! I’ll probably be painting a few more from the yard during the summer – cropping small spaces is fun to do. Oh Miss Betty? We noticed a tag on her stamped with Betty when we bought the house years ago, so we kind of adopted the name – she is one beautiful tree in the Spring. Have a wonderful Sunday!