New Passions

Though this was only my fourth rose, I had already reached a level of competency blending with acrylics, but the process was intense as acrylics dry very quickly. I would work so fast and furiously to attain the blending I wanted that when I finished it would take 10 minutes for my eyes to return to normal focus. Shortly after this painting, for the sake of my eyes, I tried oils (which remain workable for hours), and for most tasks that require intense blending I have never looked back. But when I do look back on these early acrylic roses, I love the stippled effect on the petals that result from the slightly-less-than-perfect blending which gives the effect of light dancing on the surface (a recent example of this is in The Secret Life of Rocks). This rose is not only stunning in composition and color, but powerful, bold and emotionally intense.