Saturday 17 April 2010

Flowers in the Wind

Flowers in the Wind


I used this painting on today’s blog because I remember how Nettie used to love to feel the breeze on her face, especially on the early walks when she said she suffered sweats caused by the internal fear. This painting is called, “Flowers in the Wind.” I painted them in a different way than I had any of my floral paintings in the past. I started with the shape of the petals using a heavy texture paste directly onto the canvas. I let that dry and painted a coat of white over most of the canvas. I then covered this with a coat of acrylic gel. I then, using my fingers painted in all the browns and ochre. Before this dried I removed the paint from the textured flowers with a moist clean rag.


I was not at all sure about this painting but just a few days before I went climbing on caravan roofs and fell and caused three weeks of pain, I hung it in one of my local inns where I hang paintings. I also hung the last painting I did before my fall one of two yachts racing up the River Forth. I got a call yesterday telling me that both are sold and to be collected today. So I have to stop all the excuses, I have to produce at least one painting more to replace them on Monday.

Seems somebody likes this one. I was a bit happier about the two yachts but all I can hope is that both paintings bring joy to the purchasers.

This blog is linked to my other where I tell the last of the stories of Nettie:- A Big day

7 comments:

  1. Another fantastic floral!

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  2. This is beautiful! Thanks for your comment on my blog about joining vs. not joining. I appreciate your thoughts, and I agree!
    Selling your work is another scary step for an artist. Congratulations on selling your two. Is it hard to part with them?

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  3. I really love this painting too, Ralph. The colors are just...(and now I'm going to put two words together that might not make sense)...reminiscently soothing. Couldn't wait to see the story behind the painting when I was visiting your other blog. You are an art selling machine!

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  4. I do feel the fragility of life here in this painting--the wind buffeting those delicate flowers. Your painting goes so well with the story of Nettie. Isn't it also so remarkable that such little wispy flowers can withstand all that they do? People are just like that... and you remind us of all that with this great painting and your outstanding writing.

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  5. Hello Ralph, I loves this picture! This is so nice and has so much light in itself ... a little also something untouched. A lot, very nicely, it touches me. Thank you!!! ... also the kind of the Malens is very interesting...

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  6. You continue to inspire me, thank you for being so kind...

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  7. I love this one Ralph... I can just "feel" the breeze and the technique you used is wonderful - something to try, thank you for telling us all how you did this and isn't it wonderful the way it turned out? Very lovely

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