While roses and tulips are popular flowers for botanical artists, I prefer to focus on more alien-looking blooms that are less common and often overlooked.
Their sculptural shapes and simple lines lend themselves to create paintings that I always think have an “otherworldly“ feel. I take time to find the perfect angle to bring out that element that first captured my attention.
As a professional artist, I work only in watercolor. It gives me the fluid and transparent washes of color that I need to create the glow of color, light and shadows to make each flower look like it floats effortlessly in space. My aim is to show them in new and interesting ways; to take a simple ordinary flower and elevate it. I want the viewer to say “wow, that’s amazing!” just as I did when it first captured my eye.
Each piece can takes days or weeks to make being painstakingly painted inch by inch. Their sizes range from 20”x 30” to 46”x 46” -the largest paper I can find!
"Carona" is a painting I've finished while in lockdown. I started it in January 2020 in Hong Kong, when we first started hearing about a virus. It was finished in March in the French countryside.
I started with the aim of painting the Waratah flower as if it was drifting in space, and it ended up like looking like the 'virus' scuttling across the page...perfect for my alien series!! (of course, I admit that maybe my overactive artist brain??)
Let me know what you think!
To see more of my work check out my website link below or follow me on Instagram @deniseramsayartist
More info: deniseramsay.com
Carona - 22” x 30” watercolor on paper
The Australian Waratah flower, a crazy looking flower anyway with its curls and everything, but now it looks like something scuttling away ! !
I Come In Peace - 30" x 22" watercolor on paper
Up close and personal, Tiger Lily, the flower with spots! (Lilium lancifolium)
Courtship - 22" x 27 1/2" watercolor on paper
Tiger Flower (Tigridia pavonia) or Mexican Shell Flower, they come in white, pink and yellow. This was growing in my mother's garden in New Zealand, thanks Mom!
Flight Of Passion - 46" x 46" watercolor on paper
Purple and blue weirdness.. Passiflora 'Lavender Lady' . The purple/blue 'antenna' are called carona filaments and there seems to be some discussions as to what they actually are!
Fireworks - 46" x 48" watercolor on paper
The Pincushion flower!! they look exactly like their name (Leucospermum)
gettin' the job done... this one took me ages to paint. About a month in the end.
It's Me! Denise. visit me at deniserasmay.com to catch up on what I'm doing..
