Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board

All the forms have been blocked in.  Next to refine the color and values.  Red is fun to work with.  The trail of making the brightest petals is reliant upon the darkest reds.  It will take days for the reds to dry enough to work. So tomorrow I will begin again on the leaves.

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

It's very difficult to find the bright red that occurs when the light shines through the red petals.  I'm making it occur by darkening all the other reds to contrast.  

Geraniums

Geraniums, Oil on Board, 16 3/4" x 24 1/2"

I've return to the geraniums after a couple of weeks working on the Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase.  

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

The completed piece.  I was in Maine this past week and enjoying the multitude of hydrangeas in all their varieties.  Maine has a later blooming season than we.  Still, the blue mop head is my favorite.  

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase

Hydrangeas in Cobalt Vase, Oil on Board, 12"x12"

I realized today that I've been working primarily with tints and a variety of blues to create contrast.  Usually I will work with a color's complement for a deeper value.  It could just be the nature of the hydrangea: so many different blues and violets rather than one blue affected by a light source.