Pearl

Pearl
Oil on canvas | 60cm diameter | 2023

Pearl belongs to a series of round rose paintings, each one an exploration of the same flower in a different light and mood.

What draws me back to roses again and again is the delicacy of the petals. There is a transparency to them, especially near the edges, where the colour seems to thin out and let the light pass through. Capturing that quality in oil, getting the petals to feel soft and almost weightless rather than solid, is something I find endlessly interesting to work on.

In Pearl, the palette moves through soft blush, cream and that cool, dusty lavender grey in the outer petals. It is a quiet painting. Nothing demands attention, but the longer you look, the more detail reveals itself, in the layering of the petals, the curl at the edges, the small thorn caught on the stem below.

The circular format suits the rose perfectly. It holds the bloom the way a frame might, without ever feeling rigid.

This painting has been sold to a collector but if you are interested in something similar please have a look at Dawn or order a custom commissioned painting.