Roses in January

Roses                   watercolour            95 x 40 cm

In the northern hemisphere the winter can be problematic as far as finding flowers as subject matter for watercolour painting is concerned. Buying cut flowers can solve the problem but not only are they expensive in winter, they are often too stereotype looking and perfect. You can wait a few days for them to open up or wilt a little to let them become more natural or you can do as I did to find roses in January. I went to the nearest flower mart, not to the actual sales area but behind the back where all the goodies are hidden. There the rubbish skip, trash bin or waste bin, whatever you call it, can be a virtual treasure chest for floral artists. 

These were the roses I found, they didn't last very long after coming in from the cold so I had to be quick and concentrated. The background is imagined and the roses, stalks and leaves were actually standing in a bucket of water which for aesthetic reasons, I have omitted.