Tuesday 12 July 2011

Wildflowers (and Fruit)

Being very discontented with my last offering I followed my normal procedure and instead of sulking pressed ahead with another painting. There are some wonderful wild flowers in a large open meadow, part of the Community wood, near my home. Last week I collected some intending to paint them, but fate intervened in that my youngest grandson was unwell so grandparenting duties intervened.  Fortunately he has recovered but by then the flowers were dead! I determined to have another shot and there were still plenty of fresh flowers so I collected a bunch yesterday. I'm not sure as to the exact legality by doing this  but I didn't dig them up and none were rarities so ........!
  
Wildflowers with added fruit

I added the fruit as I felt the area around my favourite jug looked a little lonely.


I did the intial drawing with a loose outline to start, erasing some of the marks later and then commenced the drawing proper, avoiding becoming too detailed, with the pink flowers in the centre. Once completed I started painting those same pink flowers.

 

Wildflowers & Fruit. Fabriano Artistico 90lb Not 15" x 11"

As you will note I painted on 90lb Fabriano and find this weight perfectly satisfactory for my sort of painting with no large washes. Colours used were Permanent Rose and Opera Rose (both W & N) for the pink flowers. As they had a violet tinge, particularly in the shadows I added Ultramarine Violet (Rowney PV15). Yellows are mainly Hansa Yellow Medium (Daniel Smith PY97) and a little Indian Yellow (Rowney PY153). Ultramarine Violet was also used for some of the flowers plus Permanent Carmine (W & N PR N/A) with a little Cadmium Orange (Maimeri PO20). The greens were mainly Hookers Green (Maimeri) adulterated with eithers Burnt Sienna or darkened with Faience Blue (Maimeri PB60), Burnt Umber also. The jug was mostly Cerulean (W & N PB35) with some Ultramarine Violet. On to the fruit with the grapes Perylene Maroon (Rowney PR179), the orange Cadmium Orange and Raw Umber and the apple mainly Permanent Carmine with touches of yellow and green. Raw Sienna in the background.


Brushes used were Rosemary series 33 No 9 and Da Vinci Maestro Size 6.

I'm much happier with this than the previous painting. I intend to do more still lifes incorporating flowers but also studies of fruit and  possibly vegetables. I like the shapes and brilliant colours of peppers. Having been studying Shirley Trevenas work recently and her treatment of fruit, together with that of my guru Charles Reid, I will be striving to improve my treatment of these subjects.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Lovely light and airy piece. The loose approach really suits the subject.

Anonymous said...

Hi Peter,

Beautiful flower painting with the fruits placed in a way that lead to the vase which in turn leads to the flowers.

My congratulations on the quality of this and your other paintings.

Kind regards,

Rui

p.s. On another note, you spoke about Quin Gold previously and I just heard that DS has issued a limited edition of a colour called Quinophthalone Yellow. Are they trying other yellows because Quin Gold pigment stocks are getting low? (although by the description it does not seem to be of the same type of yellow as Quin Gold)

Their comments: "A clean, bright yellow. Because it’s low staining, you can paint with it full strength and pull the color back to almost paper white. This is a great color to have in your palette. It’s a Limited Edition paint—so ..."

Peter Ward said...

Thanks Mick.Your views always welcome.

Thanks Rui for those kind words. As for Quinacridone Gold according to Handprint manufacture of the pigment (PO49) ceased some years ago, so unless there is a supplier who is `off the radar' then it must lead to this colour disappearing in it's `pure' form. Manufacturers like Winsor & Newton are still listing it but they are all hues not the proper colour.

witte's end studio said...

i haven't looked into your blog lately, peter, and i must say i like your recent work. i see in your paintings what i hope to achieve in mine, steady progress. i especially like the portrait of the indian gentleman. keep it up the good work.

Peter Ward said...

Thanks Bob. Keep visiting!