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Who paints dandelions?
I’d never really considered them as a subject for a painting before. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever really looked very closely at them before.
But one of the wonderful things about painting something is the time you have to spend with it.
You come close to your subject when you paint it. You start to understand it and you notice things that ordinarily would escape you.
If you’ve followed my posts recently or seen me stream live on facebook, you’re probably aware that I’m very interested in colour.
And as I spent some careful, slow time with these three dandelions, I learned that they are not, in fact, all one colour.
I can’t imagine now how I hadn’t noticed it before, but the little petals on the outside are almost green, whilst the centre is a rich golden yellow, much closer to orange-yellow.
And that, I think is the secret to painting them.
When I began this painting, I started the daffodil simply, as basic shapes, but paid a lot of attention to the colours of the lights and the shadows.
I’m finding more and more that simple beginnings lead to good endings.
By painting these flowers very simply at first, and then cutting into those simple shapes to bring out the petals, they took shape in a way that I couldn’t have achieved by attempting to paint each individual petal.
Here’s an edited down version of the live stream during which I painted them:
The painting actually took a little over an hour and half – it looks a lot faster in that video!
But the more slowly I paint, the better I get.
Increasingly these days, I spend most of my time at the beginning of a painting, carefully arranging the composition, the values, the colours and getting things in the right place.
I’m finding that as well as often making for a better finish, it means I have to paint much less.
I think that it may help to keep the feeling of freshness and immediacy that is a strength of alla prima painting, too.
I’ve also found that just because a flower is generally considered a weed, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good subject for a painting.
And in fact, when you look closely at them, dandelions are quite beautiful.
Best wishes and thanks for reading,
Paul
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That is so beautiful in all it’s simplistic beauty. It reminds me of childhood, gathering flowers for my Mother and playing on the lawn.
Thank you for that memory.
That’s wonderful Rhinda, thanks so much for sharing that with me. To be able to touch someone with a painting is one of the great priveleges of being an artist.
I loved watching the speeded up video It gave me a much clearer picture of how your paintings come together as I don’t always have time to watch all of your live streaming so I tend to dip in and out
Thankyou
That’s just what I was hoping for Sharon, thanks for letting me know. I’m planning to do a lot more like this!
REALLY pleased to see this painting of Dandelions, I was looking closely at some in my garden while weeding a few days ago and I too noticed the two different yellows, almost a lemony outside and rich orange inside so I left them alone to flourish, really beautiful flowers and always overshadowed by the Daffs at this time of year.
Lovely painting as usual Paul. hope you feel better soon!
Yes, aren’t they wonderful? We have a large back garden to look after which is very uneven, I have to do it with a big strimme, but I’m leaving all the dandelions and oxlips (wild primroses?) I see untouched. We have little islands where the flowers grow – and lots of happy bees 🙂
This year I’m going to keep one area completely untouched now, to see what grows there.
You make it appear so simple and yet the results are remarkable likenesses. You appear to have a propensity towards the colour yellow in your latest works but I suppose it a spring like colour.
Yes indeed James, I’m just painting what catches my eye around me. There is a lot of yellow at the moment!
This painting is stunning – truly beautiful work!! I loved it when you said, “I didn’t expect that dandelions would be this enjoyable paint…” and I didnt expect to cry watching you paint them! I was mesmerized watching you bring this trio to life on the canvas. I also loved what you wrote about spending time with them and how you never really noticed them before as they are one of my favorite flowers!
My mom once complained of all the weeds in her lawn. My oldest son asked her what weeds, he didn’t see any. When she replied the dandelions, he told her “You need to get your eyes checked, Granny. Those aren’t weeds, those are gorgeous flowers!”
May 10 (Mother’s Day this year in the US) will be the 15th anniversary of his passing, he was only ten years old. I’m so grateful for memories like this. My six other children (ages 6-22) still bring me dandelions. Even my almost 15 year old son brought some in for me the other day. It’s the little joys, right? Thank you for capturing the simple beauty of dandelions!
This is very special and I appreciate your work… keep it up! ❤
Katherine, I don’t know what to say. What a moving comment. Thank you so much, you’ve made my day.
That made my day too, not just the painting but the beautiful feeling I could see as you worked your magic, thoughts transferred from mind to brush to canvas. Thank you and take care, Norah
Thank you Norah 🙂
Brilliant painting !
It seems you are turning a bit more abstract, while obviously using bigger brushes too.
And I feel you end up with a more spiritual painting.
I really love it Paul.
Thank you.
Marc
This Easter we have been caring for a deaf and paralyzed rabbit which we found in the forest. We worked out that his favourite food was dandelion flowers so we would all bring him bunches of these throughout the day and my children would call them yellow roses. I could see his eyes light up every time one of us presented these to him as he could no longer go and find these treasures for himself. This painting felt like a tribute to him. Thank you Paul.