I like to meet friends to paint on wednesdays. it’s been too hot to paint outside, so we have been painting florals.
![kentucky artist, ken swinson painting a floral arrangement](https://www.kenswinson.com/store/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_6824.jpeg)
I have always painted from life using the ‘indirect painting method’, where I have a monochrome underpainting, to establish values, then cover it with color after the values are all worked out. I like that style and separating the two (value and color) but with oils, the underpainting will soften the vibrance of the colors. I like that effect for most subjects, but flowers are all about the COLOR, and I wanted to try and make my colors brighter.
![](https://www.kenswinson.com/store/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/hibiscus-1024x683.jpg)
I decided to paint small, so that I could learn the new technique fast. Here is my first painting of hibiscus flowers.
It felt very strange to work on a white panel, mixing color and value at the same time, but I’m happy with how it turned out!
![](https://www.kenswinson.com/store/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/butterflybush-682x1024.jpg)
my second painting was of an arrangement with butterfly bush and queen anne’s lace. Now that I am over the shock of mixing and applying paint different, I’m excited to keep exploring this technique!
My friends:
![](https://www.kenswinson.com/store/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/rob-1024x682.jpg)
Rob Weingartner
![](https://www.kenswinson.com/store/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/dawn-682x1024.jpg)
Dawn Kincaid
Thanks so much Dawn, for putting the beautiful still lives together–and thanks both of you for the wonderful day of painting!!!