Purple and White Iris

Watercolor 7"x5" $45
www.BulmanFineArt.com
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This is one of my favorite color combinations in the “bearded” iris family. The large, lush blossoms appear in April and May and are a nice addition to the earlier bulbs. Many of my irises were bought from a woman in the county east of Bellingham. She spent many years caring for and developing her plants. This part of the Pacific Northwest is so good for growing bulbs that they export many bulbs from the area around the world.

It’s turning into a beautiful spring, but we have also set a new record for the latest snow date! Enjoy, Rick.

Bridge Arn

Hand Colored Etching #23/75 4" x 3"
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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This etching is based on sketches and photos I did on one of my first trips to Europe. My friends and I bought a VW van in Amsterdam and we traveled for 3 months visiting museums, towns, cities and archaeological sites. About half way through the trip we stumbled upon this charming medieval bridge on the River Art in France. Still in use carrying pedestrians and vehicles I was very impressed by how strong and well preserved it was. The well worn stone and brick were subtle shades of pink and white.

Fairhaven Firs II

Hand Colored Etching #37/125 7”x5” $125
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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This etching was done using a zinc plate with a photo sensitive coating, but instead of using a photo process I used my etching scribe to draw through the coating and then used an acid bath to etch the lines. This was drawn from life and the thin but strong ground gave me the opportunity to use fine flowing lined to describe the elegant forms in this old fir tree. This tree is one of several this size in a park close to my home, Fairhaven Park, established in the 1880’s.

I used transparent watercolors unique self blending quality to achieve the soft transition of colors in the sky and foliage.

Fall Day

Hand Colored Etching #28/100 10”x8” $250

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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

It was a brisk and clear afternoon when I started this piece, a picture of a place where I used to play as a kid. It’s located in the Mojave Desert in Southern California. Our house was in a new development so two blocks away the houses and yards stopped and it turned into open desert for miles around. The poplar trees and bushes are part of a wind break for an old farm house about a quarter mile away. We build forts and tunnels and caught all kinds of snakes and lizards. There was also an amazing diversity of birds.

I used the transparent and tube watercolors and some “plate tone” to try and capture the pastel tones in the foliage and the strong shadows of the trunks and branches in the late afternoon sun.

Magnolia Trio

Watercolor 7”x5” $45
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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

These are the classic “cup shaped” magnolias found all around the southern United States. I remember their subtle scent filling the springtime air when I traveled through that area. They are painted with the transparent watercolors only. I used a “Rose Madder” and “Wisteria Violet” to capture the beautiful tones in the petals.

This is one of my favorite trees in the neighborhood and it is blooming profusely this year. I painted these with a black background but left it white in the finished painting because of the great contrast with the intense colors.

Leaf Study

Watercolor 7”x5” $45
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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

The strong abstract forms of this alpine poppy attracted me but I didn’t expect all the crazy, intricate twists and turns I discouvered while drawing and paintint it. I’m thinking it would make a great design for an etching. This hardy little poppy grows all over western Washington and British Columbia, Canada. It has an early and long lasting blooming season – mid April through October or November.

First Bloom

Watercolor 7”x5” $45
www.BulmanFineArt.com
Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This was the first flower on this rose bush. A cutting from one of the oldest gardens in our little town. It bloomed after about a year! I like growing plants that have stood the test of time as we have conditions that are a real challenge to a lot of plants. Another piece with the transparent water colors with the addition of some water color pencils.

I think the light background shows off the delicate pink tones in the rose. A case of simple elegance.

Blue Ranunculus

7” x 5” $45.00
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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

Ranunculus are an amazing plant – you would never expect such beautiful flowers could come from the dirt clod like rhizomes when you plant them! They are also a great touch of blue in the garden. A rich ultramarine blue with a touch of violet.

Indigo and Magnolias

Watercolor 8" x 5" SOLD

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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

The magnolia trees are in full blossom now and look like big pink and white clouds floating in the garden. This it the second time I have painted their flowers and each time I see so much more subtlety in their colors. Lots of light turquoise blue, paynes gray, pinks and greens. I also noticed the strength of the stems holding up the full, heavy flowers.

I used a combination of black tube water color mixed with transparent indigo blue for the rich, dark background.

Three Sisters

Watercolor 7” x 5” $45

It wasn’t until after I finished this painting that I thought the tulips reminded me of three strong sisters sunning in the garden, each one similar but unique in their attitudes and postures. The other flowers are a white Andromeda with the red tips, grape hyacinth, and perhaps a “linum” with the yellow and black centers. I started this piece with a pretty detailed pencil drawing, drew over that with ink and then added color working from light to dark.

Spring Magnolia

Watercolor 7” x 5” $45

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Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

With the nighttime temperatures rising, the magnolias are blooming like crazy. If you stop and watch you can actually see the flowers opening. These blooms are from trees in my back garden and are surrounded by spring green garden colors. These made a great background for the painting. The flowers are hard to capture with their soft curves and opalescent colors.

Pink Calla Lily

Watercolor 7" x 5" $45

www.BulmanFineArt

Rick@BulmanFineArt.com

This is one of the most ‘tropical’ looking flowers we grow. With its unusually shaped and colored blossoms and lush dark foliage it always makes me think of Hawaii. The brilliant pinks in the flower were mostly done with transparent watercolors. Enjoy.