DAY 16: ROSES, A LA SHABBY CHIC

Wow, you did it! Welcome to your last day of this Painting Challenge.

I hope you were able to feel the comfort and joy of your happy place with yesterday’s challenge.

Today’s challenge is softer and more gentle. It has an ease over it. To me these roses, painted in a vintage shabby chic sort of way, takes me back to the street painters at Sacre-Coeur in Paris, France. That’s where I bought my first original painting as an 18 year old traveling with my parents. The collection have grown over many travels and art shows my husband and I have done. Art carries more than just the paint, it carries memories and evokes emotions. Sometimes of a relationship, sometimes of a lost time.

Long ago sold, this darling piece of roses on a table is so sweet and I hope it brings you many happy feelings.

The Painting Practice

Remember to turn off your phone notifications before you start.

  1. Sketch a rectangular the size of 8×10 or 4×5 inches on your paper as your outline for this painting.
  2. While looking at your reference photo as your inspiration, do a simple outline of the subject on your paper. Just a rough sketch will do.
  3. Choose your colors, they can be whatever colors you’d like. They can be much bolder than these – I was going for a romantic shabby chic style – or why not try these lovely soft colors and see how they make you feel?
  4. Grab some water and your brushes, and don’t forget a towel to clean off your wet brush. Paint a thin background, then fill all your flowers with the darkest color, then go back over them and with broad strokes add the petals.
  5. Now, set a gentle timer and paint for 20 minutes for some meditative joy and playful painting.
  6. I can’t wait to see how you sign this piece.

If you feel called to continue painting past 20 minutes, please do so.

SHARE YOUR CREATION:

Take a photo of your finished challenge and share it on social media (tag #studioeriksdotter so I can see it), and tell me: How did this last challenge make you feel? Can you resonate with the sentiment of these vintage roses? Did it take you back in time to a place you love? What colors did you choose and why?