Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Gold Daffodils in Pink...

Painting 133. Gold Daffodils in Pink
(Oil Pastel, 9x12 Sennelier Oil Pastel Paper)

Gold Daffodils in Pink was another experiment. I wanted to see how dark and rich I could take the color using the Sennelier oil pastels, and I wanted a blurry lushness I could get lost in, so I slathered the pigment on in waves and used a smudge stick to blend and blur. These daffodils are from my front yard today! I know...it's grey and cold and snowing, but these brave souls pushed through. They were working their hardest to brighten things up in the Great Grey Expanse, but their happy little faces seemed faded outside. I knew if I got them inside their gold color would glow and fill the room with spring, and I could do something fun with them using the Sennelier oil pastels...

Painting 132. Red Tulips in Blue
(Oil Pastel, 9x12 Sennelier Oil Pastel Paper)

Last year for the 100 Painting Challenge, I worked exclusively with birds, but this year I'm adding flowers and insects into the mix. Red Tulips in Blue is my first floral still life. I brought these flowers home from Whole Foods yesterday in an attempt to "buy" a little spring since Mama Nature wasn't handing it out for free. I really enjoyed using the Sennelier oil pastels. It felt so good to see those vibrant colors coming to life on the paper!


These paintings are part of the 100 Painting Challenge. If you want to make art a regular part of your life...join up!
This is my second year of the challenge. I'm working on 500 paintings in five years.

22 comments:

  1. And they are truly vibrant! You're so willing to experiment, and we get to reap the rewards! Nice work, Kel.

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  2. Oh I was at Whole Foods on Sunday, and was very very tempted by the tulips! Luckily we have lots of vibrant cactus blooming, so I was able to resist temptation. However, it may have been worth it to use them as a still life inspiration. ;) Beautiful flowers you've done.

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  3. For a moment I thought you might have been peeking at the Narcissus and Tulip blooms in our back garden. It has rained for the first time in weeks so I need to go check on any damage!
    In my eyes the experiment has worked exceptionally well Kelly.

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  4. I love what you are able to do with your paint brush. You are so very talented. The colors are wonderful. I can just see those displayed in a sunny kitchen or breakfast room.

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  5. Kelly, your gorgeous images are cheering me up. You captured spring! I love those rich, deep colors!

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  6. Love viewing your paintings, Kelly, it's like visiting an art gallery, without leaving home. These are so cheerful on this cold morning.

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  7. My fav is the second one. I love vases with flowers and the background is so special. Carol

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  8. I really like the look of your paintings with oil pastels. Vibrant and soft at the same time.

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  9. Lovely paintings,I really like the look you are getting with the oil pastels!
    Caroline

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  10. I liked the daffodils and was going to comment on them and then as I scrolled down I saw the tulips. Wow, wow, wow! I love them!

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  11. Lovely way to bring spring indoors! I'm glad that you're going to branch out and add flowers and insects to your challenge. In my mind all three seem to work together to enhance any encounter with nature, and your paintings and photographs are always a delightful encounter with nature.

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  12. Wow, you are ambitious! Love the bright colors. I can see a lot of passion in these paintings!

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  13. Kelly I really like what you are doing with the oil pastels. It is so much fun working in different mediums.

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  14. They are fantastic, I love your way of painting.

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  15. Oh i love the tulips! I love all those brilliant colors!

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  16. These are brilliant Kelly.
    I think that dutch bloke with one ear would be shaking in his shoes at the competition now if he were alive.{:)

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  17. Love the strong colors. I've a few early tulips and can see why you painted them.

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  18. 500 paintings in five years?! WOW!

    My goodness--what a project you have going.

    I fell in love with your daffys. They are beautiful and they fill my eyes--it's what happens when I see something beautiful, unusual, amazing--my eyes involuntarily focus in on whatever it is I'm looking at, and the sensation tickles.

    lol I adore your work. I have never been able to use pastels. I admire any artist who does!

    Wonderful, lovely--and it fills my eyes.

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  19. They're both beautiful! I love the colors!

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  20. These are so beautiful!! I was picturing the first painting in my birds & bloom guest room at the cabin. WOW!!

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  21. I like the idea of enticing deep, reach color from pastel tools. I'm thinking of art in a whole new way now that I've seen more of the thought that goes into each picture.

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