In Anticipation Of Spring

Joseph’s Coat

In Georgia, our coldest stretch of winter has arrived. We are shivering to temperatures that dip into the twenties overnight. And, we are donning our warm winter coats as we brave daytime temperatures that hardly rise past forty degrees.

All this shivering and bundling is quite contrary to how we southern folk prefer our weather. As I nudge the thermostat up another degree, I find myself longing for all the activity that comes with tending to my flower garden. Summoning some patience, I turn my thoughts to anticipating all the colorful flowers that will bloom in my garden this year.

As my longing for warmer days grows increasingly intense, I begin to rummage through my treasure trove of garden photography. As I view my brightly colored photographs of lilies, tulips and roses in full bloom, my eye keeps landing on one beautiful rose in particular, because its colors are warm, and glowing, like summer sunshine!

What a delight is Joseph’s Coat Climbing Rose!

Each year, I tend to two of these rose bushes climbing on trellises. Joseph’s Coat Climbing Rose always blooms in multicolored shades of yellow, orange and pink. No two flowers are ever the same color, and their blooms always bring a happy smile to this southern gardener.

Preparing a 16 inch by 16 inch canvas for this new flower portrait brings warmth and joy to my heart. It is time to combat the cold by painting with all the warmest colors of my palette. I lay out cadmium yellow medium, cadmium red, cadmium orange. I reach for alizarin crimson permanent, permanent rose, and ultramarine blue for balance of warm and cool. I add titanium zinc white and titanium white, they always round out my palette choices.

It’s a warm day now – at least inside – as I lay down these beautiful sunny colors that will serve as the first brushstrokes of a new flower portrait. In anticipation of spring, and of all the wonderfully warm, sunny days ahead, I paint Joseph’s Coat, and I smile with each brushstroke!

Thank you for visiting with me in my Artist’s Journal. I love sharing the inspiration for this new, exciting canvas, currently On The Easel with you! (Article image, detail from under painting of Joseph’s Coat, 16 inch x 16 inch, oil on canvas).