"Longing"

 

6 x 8" 

oil on linen panel (Ray Mar)

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This one went fairly quickly.  I started by putting down a sepia ground and then rubbing out the lightest shapes with a cloth.  Then I sketched with a brush using a dark alizarin crimson.  After the shapes were how I wanted them, I painted the darkest colors and background, keeping it soft.  The next day I completed the flower.  The highlights worked out very well.  This one will be hard to part with.

The reference photo was taken on August 8.  It was the day of the rose path.  With so many beautiful subjects, the trick was to find pleasing compositions.  I liked how the background flowers look ghostly.