Roses from the garden

Dear Subscribers,

Above is the finished painting from the session, which is available for purchase. Please email me if you are interested.

Addendum: There are a couple of additional sections of video that were not visible in the original recording. During this portion, I am demonstrating a concept by drawing on screen within Zoom, which did not appear in the original version. I have added these segments to the end of this post.

This month’s class demonstration, recorded on 6 June 2026, was well attended and included some lively discussion. There is also approximately 40 minutes of additional painting footage after the live class ends, although this section has no audio commentary.

Considering the painting was completed on a 14 × 12 inch panel, it was a relatively quick study. Using larger brushes certainly helps, provided they can maintain a good chisel edge for the smaller details. I also managed to restrain myself from overworking the previously established background and foliage. The relatively abstract brushwork in these areas has a satisfying quality, and preserving it rather than continually refining it helped the painting reach completion more quickly.

The next live class will take place on Saturday 4 July at 4:00 pm UK time. Full details can be found at the end of this newsletter for paid subscribers. If another day or time would make it easier for you to attend the live sessions, please let me know. If there is sufficient interest, I may be able to accommodate alternative times or run an additional class.

In this session, I paint pink roses from my garden arranged in the studio. At the beginning of the live class, I mention drawing directly on the screen to illustrate a few points. This is not visible in the recording because those annotations are only viewable within the Zoom session itself, whereas I use OBS to record the class.

I have included a photograph of the subject below for anyone who would like to paint their own version. I’d love to see your results, so please feel free to share them in the comments.

That said, I would encourage you to work from life whenever possible. A photograph cannot fully capture the subtle relationships of colour, value, temperature, and form that are present in the real subject.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments. I hope the session proves useful and provides ideas that you can apply to your own work.

I hope you enjoy the recording, and I look forward to seeing you at the next class.

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Happy painting,

Alex

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