Kellys Rose

I love roses! They’re old-fashioned. They come in many unique variations: floppy, ruffled, exquisite and perfect. Above all, they are fragrant.

Whenever I’m seated at a restaurant with a white cloth on the table and a live rose as the centerpiece, the first thing I do is “wake up and smell the roses.” Once that ever-pleasing scent wafts up my nose, the rest of the meal is delicious -- no matter what I’ve ordered.

If that makes me a romantic, I’ll accept that handle. The rose calls out to every feminine bone in my body, and to every primitive instinct I’ve ever had. No wonder it’s the flower of choice to say: “I love you,” “I’m sorry,” and “you’re the one – the object if my affection and desire.”

There’s something so elegant and sophisticated about a rose. And sensual. Remember the movie “American Beauty” with Kevin Spacey and the imagined red petals surrounding his love object; red petals representing her innocence and his lust in one glorious vision of vibrancy and life? The blood red rose symbolized all of this as it wound its thorny stems around the characters, extracting droplets of emotion, pain, and self-awareness.

I like that no two roses are alike. Their thorny disposition doesn’t deter me, though. In fact, some of my favorite people are a bit prickly until you get to know them. Once past that bristly barrier, they are pure mush; good-hearted and immensely satisfying.

I love to paint roses, too; but I’m still learning the intricacies of their sensual beauty and uniqueness. I’m grateful to Kelly Bell for allowing me to paint from a photograph she took that inspired me. In an earlier blog http://AnfinsenArt.blogspot.com), you can see the first coat of paint applied to a 12x16 treated masonite board. It was a lot of coats and glazes later before I had the look and feel I wanted.

As in all paintings, this is my “interpretation” of Kelly’s photo, along with my personal skill (or lack thereof). When you compare the painting and photograph, you can see that both are beautiful in their own right. They are just different: different media, different light, different focus. But both equally beautiful; Kelly’s because she has captured something real on film and preserved its original beauty forever.

Kelly’s photograph was purposely out of focus so the details eluded me. I filled in the gaps with imagination and my own personal take on the photo.