There are so many ways to paint hydrangeas and hydrangea still lifes. I’ve tried quite a few. They are challenging with all the little cluster petals. There are those who paint the little 4 petal clusters all over. That’s more detail than actually interest me. If anything I want to become more more loose – more abstract. I’m going to work on that. But for now, here are a few examples of work I’ve done recently and one hydrangea painting from a year ago. One painting I created and then scraped all the flower heads back to repaint. I thought I’d put them all together.

I like both of my painting above but find them a bit too “sweet” and whimsical for my preference. I have always been able. to paint in several “voices” – even when I was a digital painter.

Ultimately, I decided the flower heads above had too much texture, saturation and contrast. Better to scrape off the heads and redo them. (not shown) I did that but still wasn’t happy and redid them again. – see final below – or is it!! I’b always good for a redo, if over time, I. am not happy and there remains some significant portion of the painting I like.

Well, to me this painting has now largely lost the look of hydrangeas – though the hydrangeas I referenced had deep red fall coloring. I’m ok with them being “flowers – of some kind” besides, now there is foliage. My other option, is to have this painting panel cut horizontally to make a 12×16 panel from the bottom portion of the painting – all of which I like. Can you imagine?

I painted the above painting more than a year and a half ago when I was just getting started and trying to work out what a hydrangea looked like – how to paint all of those little petals but NOT!

I thought you might enjoy seeing the progression of these paintings – the struggle! Hope you’re enjoying your summer. Winifred