My Love Affair with Colour: Spray of Wild Roses (new painting alert)

It's wild rose season, and the air is full of their fragrance. I almost feel silly painting wild roses; they are so ubiquitous and symbolic of our region that I feel like they've been done to death. But when you're inspired, you have to go with it, and I realized recently that I really only have completed two wild rose paintings. So I pulled out a sheet of watercolour paper and channeled my inner rose.

I have studied roses extensively for many years and so I didn't use a reference photo, I just started painting, studying the roses at the roadside during my morning run. The benefit from studying roses live in person is that you can see the context; their environment, their scent, the bugs and the feel of the sun and wind. It makes for a more well-rounded painting, capturing more of the "essence" of the painting subject.

Painting loosely means I also get to use the best characteristics of watercolour to my advantage. I love playing with granulating colours - that's how I get the texture of granules of different colours side by side. These colours are mixed with a wet brush, and then as they dry, they separate. It's stunning and always unique.

I've been teasing you with detail shots, because there are so many beautiful details in this painting, you have to see it to appreciate it. Here's a look at the full painting:

"Spray of Wild Roses" measures 14" x 18" (36 x 56 cm) and is available for purchase here.