“Pastel Bearded Iris”

Acrylic on Rag Paper 7”x5” $95
http://www.bulmanfineart.com/
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

I found this iris growing under some raspberry bushes while doing cleanup recently. Because it had grown in shade it had these amazing subtle pastel tones and large delicate petals. The opalescent effect was stunning. Many of the iris we grow have been bred and developed by local growers who pass the plants down through generations of gardeners.

The iris laevigata are blooming like crazy now, but most of the bearded iris have been done for more than a week so this was an exciting find.

“Golden Sage”

Acrylic on Gessoed Paper 7”x5” $95
http://www.bulmanfineart.com/
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This is a very hardy bush that has grown in the garden for many years. It seems never to be affected by the weather; neither hot dry spells nor cold heavy snow. The flower clusters look like several snap dragon blooms forming a ball. They are a bright yellow tinged with ocher, darkening to a rich golden tone as they age. Some have a thin light pink petal emerging from the “mouth” of the dragon. The thick sage green leaves have a distinctive fold near the end. It makes a great cut flower with the flowers lasting a week or more.

“Love In A Mist” - Nigella damascene

Acrylic on Gessoed Paper 7”x5” $95
http://www.bulmanfineart.com/
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This is the blue version of this species which is a Mediterranean native with 1-1 ½” blooms in pink, white and blue. The fine threadlike leaves cover the foot tall plant and form a collar under the flowers, making the “mist”. It the fall it forms a large paper like, balloon shaped seed pod topped with five curling horns. It always gets lots of comments from visitors to the garden. This is an old fashioned favorite that grows in almost any climate and has seeded itself all over the yard.

This was a very complex flower so I did a study of the petals, about 24, the unusual center with the horns and the small pollen holders that are suspended from thin lines originating at the center of the flower. I then did a detailed drawing with a hard lead pencil before starting painting. The blue flowers range in shade from light to dark blue to a purple tone and I used ultramarine blue with a violet wash, lightly touched with white to capture the unique color of this bloom.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Bridges Florence - June 18th, 2008

Acrylic on Canvas 20” x 16”

At this point I have added another layer of paint to the stonework on the Ponte Vecchio. Although everything is in dark shade I have paid attention to the details in the stone and the support beams for authenticity.

These dark areas framed the scene below and gave me a nice tone to work from as I adjusted the light and dark areas on the rest of the picture. This has really given the bridges more structure and much more texture to the bank areas.

I’m excited about starting work on detailing the shops with their unique features and details.

Bridges Florence - Ponte Vecchio

Acrylic on Canvas 20” x 16”

This picture shows the laying in of the stones on the Ponte Vecchio, the first bridge in the picture. On closer examination of the reference photo I noticed more detail in the stones and several support beams for the overhanging shops. Although they will be in dark shadow I wanted to include them for authenticity and detail. As soon as I finished working on the stones I noticed changes that needed to be made to the lower bridges and water so I worked over them adding more tone and detail. At this stage I am mostly painting with 1/8-1/16” wide round brushes and using the tip of an exacto knife to pick out crisp edges and bright highlights. It’s a technique I borrowed from watercolor painting and is a good way to achieve these effects without the use of white paint. My friends sometimes tease me about having spent hours putting paint on the canvas and then scraping it all off but it is really only the small highlighted areas. The painting is coming along great but I can see that I will need to add more paint to the stones because I want the bridge to act as a frame for the river scene.

Bridges Florence - Bridges and River Underpainting

Acrylic on Canvas 20” x 16”

This shows the lower bridges and river under painting mostly finished. I used the same mix of blue and brown paints with three or four sizes of small brushes. Next, I’ll finish the under painting on the upper bridge and, then go back and touch up the lower section. I’m very pleased with how the reflections are turning out.

Purple Oriental Iris

Acrylic on Gessoed Paper 7”x5” $95
http://www.bulmanfineart.com/
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

All of the irises are now blooming madly but the rain is playing havoc with them. They become so heavy with the collected water that they fall over in the slightest breeze. The combination of symmetry and asymmetry in these flowers always intrigues me; the first repetition of three petals, three falls and three yellow central stripes. All of these have slightly different forms and details. This is a species of iris, Lavigatta, which is native to China, Korea and Japan. This plant loves moist acidic soil and so does quite well in our garden.

Pencil Drawing for Bridges Florence

Acrylic on Canvas 20” x 16”

This is the finished pencil drawing on canvas ready for painting. Since it is a medium size canvas I was able to draw in a lot of the details such as the window shutters and interior views. The bridges are: Ponte Vecchio, Ponte all Grazie, Ponte San Nicolo and Ponte Giovanni da Verazano.

Study for Bridges Florence

Color Pencil on Rag Paper 10” x 8” $195

This is the finished sketch. I used blunt tipped colored pencils to add color and shadows. With sharpened tips I was able to pick out the details. I enjoyed working on the subtle colors of the weathered shop walls and the individual windows with their green shutters. The perspective and atmosphere on the receding bridges was difficult to capture. I’m glad I worked things out with this drawing; it is going to be very helpful with the larger painting.

Study for Bridges Florence in progress

Color Pencil on Rag Paper 10” x 8”
Photo (June 02, 2008)

This in progress drawing is a study for an acrylic painting of the same subject. At this point I have the major shapes sketched in and have added color to the bridges and landscape. Next I will add more detail, shadows and more color. I started the piece with a graphite pencil sketch on buff rag paper and am using prismacolors to add the color. I like to do preliminary sketches for paintings; everything from thumb nails to pieces the same size as the painting. They really help me work out composition, color relationships and details for the final piece.

Florence, Italy and the Bridges

I am excited about working on this piece. It’s a fun composition with lots of depth; the elegant arches on the bridges and all the shop windows with their unique character are only a small part of this. I have drawn and painted “Ponte Vecchio” ( the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence, Italy spanning the Arno River) a few times before which is nice because I have some familiarity with its shapes and amazingly subtle colors. None of the other pieces were this large so it’s also nice to be exploring more details such as the window shutters and the soft blending of the wall colors.

You usually see views of this bridge from the side roads and the bridges on either side of it. I wanted a view from the river bank. Searching for a way down I saw that there was a very small bank and no access. Suddenly, I spotted a young couple having breakfast at a spot with enough room for just one table. I searched the storefronts but could not find any sign of a restaurant. About to give up, I spotted the same couple leaving through a small non-descript doorway. I peered in and found a beautiful old building with wonderful carpets and grand old woodwork. Walking in, I found that it was the Florence Rowing Club with meeting rooms, a hallway filled with trophies and a small coffee bar and restaurant. Some of the people stopped and looked but no one said anything so I walked through to the small lawn and was able to snap just a few pictures before a nice young Italian man, after confirming that I was not a member!, escorted me out. It was a little embarrassing but well worth it for the great pictures.

Oriental Poppy

Acrylic on Linen 6” x 6” $95
http://www.bulmanfineart.com/
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This is an example of a bright red poppy that grows on the south side of the house. A native of the Caucasus, Northern Turkey and Iran, it likes a cold winter chill to enable it to grow and bloom well here. It is among the leafiest of poppies with bushy, coarsely cut, foot long leaves.

The flowers are huge, measuring 6 to 8 inches across on long strong stems with a black spot at the base of each petal. They add a pleasant Mediterranean touch to this sunny part of the garden.

Flag Iris

Acrylic on Gessoed Paper 7”x5” $95
http://www.bulmanfineart.com/
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This iris grows in the local marshes, we planted some in the garden several years ago but they grow so fast and strong that we have decided to move them “up the hill” and out of the main growing areas. They don’t seem to care about soil or water and grow to 4 or 5 feet tall wherever you plant them. The sword like leaves and bright yellow flowe4rs look elegant blowing in the breeze.

Three Sunflowers

Acrylic on Linen 6”x6” $95
http://www.bulmanfineart.com/
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

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I’ve been painting sunflowers off and on for the past 30 years and never tire of them. Each form and flower has such distinct and individual personalities and they always seem so cheerful! These three are from one of the simpler forms of Helianthus but with a velvety black center that slowly turns bright yellow as the small pollen carrying flowers open.

They make great cut flowers and I always enjoy the large bouquets we get with all the different colors, sizes and shapes.