Pierre de Ronsard is complete. I am pleased with the outcome, it conveys the story I want to tell about the subject.
I was discussing this with a friend the other day, the importance of giving your interpretation on the subject and that there needs to be a conversation between the artist, the viewer and the subject.
Personally I like to refine my subjects and stylise them to bring out the beauty I see in each bloom and to blow up the image. It is about finding the beauty in everyday scenes and looking closely at the small things around you. It is part of my philosophy of consciously looking for joy. It is too easy to see what is wrong, bad or ugly in the world and it is what is reported about the most. You don’t need to journey to find beauty, it is there all around, you just need to take a moment, be still and really look. If I can share these moments or make someone take a closer look at their environment, then I feel that I have achieved something as an artist. Actually if I can share the joy I find then I am happy.
I hope this rose gives you some joy and brightens your day a little. Pierre de Ronsard is available for sale on my new website either the original or as a print. Go to karenbaileystudio.netkarenbaileystudio.net and check out the portfolio pages.
Karen
Karen Bailey Studio 
A subtle understated beauty with gentle economy of line. You don’t lay it on in a heavy way; rather suggest – letting the viewer fill in the rest. Such soft colouring too. Honestly, I can smell the perfume.
Thanks Julie, I always find white/cream things daunting to colour. Trying to get the shading right and interesting without inserting too much colour is always a challenge. I am glad you can smell the perfume.
So delicate, lovely to look at.
Glad you liked it Sharon
Beautiful work!
Thanks Evelyn, it was such a beautiful subject.
It has turned out beautifully Karen, very delicate. Filling the whole image area gives it an undistracted presence.
Yes, I decided to crop it hard, I was having trouble with what to do for a background. It is very easy for rose drawings to look old fashioned and I wanted to keep a modern vibe to it. I like ‘undistracted presence’. You and Julie write so beautifully.
I so agree, Karen – sharing the JOY in what you create makes all the difference to me too, my friend! Beautiful rose unfurling… 🌹
Thanks Jill. I have I little mantra that all I need to be happy is to ‘make beautiful things and get enough sleep’. It’s good to keep things simple. 🌹
Yes! Not always easy to get enough sleep! 😴
It’s beautiful Karen. I like how you have concentrated on that small area of the flower which makes us really notice what is going on there, without the distraction of leaves. (I don’t suppose it felt like a small area when you were working on it though – roses have such a complicated petal placement, don’t they!)
You are so right Chris, I have shied away from roses because of this before. But like most things I needed to forget that and concentrate on the shapes in front of me and draw what was there without over thinking it. But my such a lot of petals!
I love how you look closely at subjects and give the viewer a different twist to the image. Beautifully captured and so gentle. Keep it coming!!!
Thanks Gail, that is what I hope I am achieving. Been flat out with commissions leading up to Christmas, but as they are all presents I can’t share them yet. Karen
Whoa! What a beautiful rose. It really reminds me of the peace of summer which i miss so much! I can’t wait until the roses bloom again. If you have any suggestions for me check out my art https://wp.me/p9t3QW-3V
Thank you for dropping by and I am glad you like my rose. It is always fun to look at peoples work from a different season/hemisphere, it gives me a taste of the opposite, while I melt in the summer heat, I get a fresh blast of winter from my northern friends. Like you I am always impatient for the roses to bloom again.
So beautiful!