Surprise! Oil pastel painting of tulips in a vase.

Oil Pastel Painting Of Tulips – Surprise!

Oil pastel painting, Surprise! won the blue ribbon in the Professional Artist Pastel Category. It is being displayed at the Professional Art Exhibit held in Coolidge Hall (the arts and crafts building), at this year's Topsfield Fair.
Oil pastel painting, Surprise! won the blue ribbon in the Professional Artist Pastel Category. It is being displayed at the Professional Art Exhibit held in Coolidge Hall (the arts and crafts building), at this year’s Topsfield Fair.

Surprise! (Oil Pastel Painting)

Surprise! is a richly textured oil pastel painting of cut tulips in an old vase. Strathmore Mixed Media Board is the ground for this painting. By its nature it adds texture to the artwork, as do the varying degrees of hardness of the different brands of oil pastels, and the number of layers applied to the different areas of the painting.

The vase is situated on a table that is covered with a wrinkled table cloth. These wrinkles of varying depths add interesting texture and contrast denoted by a multitude of shades of blue. The table is in front of a window, and light is blazing into the room. In effect it is back-lighting the tulips and vase.

The array of tulips is painted with striking light and dark contrasting color choices. Complimentary colors of red/green, yellow/purple and blue/orange create explosive dynamic energy.  The vivid tulips radiate out from the vase, and those nearest, appear to reach out to the viewer. 

A sense of balance and harmony is created by the repeating shapes of the flowers. Alternating flowers of yellow, red and purple add variety and interest. The curved shapes of the tulips lead the viewers eyes around the cluster of flowers in the vase. While the vertical and diagonal lines in the window, drapes and table cloth frame the main focal point which is the flowers themselves.

About This Tulip Oil Pastel Painting:

Title: Surprise!

Medium: Oil pastels on Strathmore Mixed Media Board

Size: 20″ x 16″

Framed Size: 21-1/4” x 17-1/4”

Surprise!, Original Tulip Oil Pastel Painting Exhibitions

2017 Topsfield Fair Professional Art Exhibit

Surprise!, Original Flower Oil Pastel Painting Award

Oil pastel painting, Surprise! won the blue ribbon in the Professional Artist Pastel Category at this year’s Topsfield Fair.

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