Iris abstraction 20

50 $  (+ 30 $ Shipping & handling)  Click here to purchase

I have just finished two small cupcake paintings, but got no photos of them yet. I have also finished two paintings that has been around for ages. Sometimes I can love and hate a painting at the same time, not sure what to do with it, but they have my approval now.

In the meantime I got this Iris that at first was too perfect and lame, so I went for it and tried to be bolder and now I think it is fun and got a lot of energy.

Iris abstraction 17

130 $  (+75 $ Shipping & handling) Click here to purchase

When I failed the first attempt on "Iris abstraction 18"I was very frustrated and felt that it was a wasted day.  I took a fresh panel and did only one of the flowers. I liked the composition and the form of the flowers on the failed painting, but was tired of it, due all the attempts to get it right. I failed  partly because I used an old panel with a few layers of paint on it. This painting gave me back some energy to do another try on the original composition.

Iris abstraction 18

150 $  (+ 75 $ Shipping & handling)  Click here to purchase

I really needed to paint something else than trees, even if I was on a roll & liked what I was doing. I took a big painting that I only thought was OK, and painted over it with this iris duo composition. I'm not sure if it was the fact that the panel had a lot of old layers of paint, but I liked the motive, but I f......ed it up. I started again with painting one of the flower on a 20" x 20" panel, liked it (will be shown later) and then I went back to do the original composition, but on a new fresh slightly smaller panel and this is the result.

There is a slight shine in the black line (left lower corner) and it will rephotographed after I varnished it.

Iris abstraction 15

SOLD

I have done a few paintings with Irises lately. I wanted to mix things up and not just explore trees/forest. I am sure others feel the same, but at times something really works, say trees, and one should take advantage of it and do it as long as it works, but I usually get bored and need to have a break and paint something else.

I wasn't sure about this painting when I just finished it, but when I looked at later, I realized that I liked it a lot.

This is also my entry  to this weeks DPW challenge .

Iris abstraction 12

175 $  (+ 75 $ Shipping and handling)  Click here to purchase

This is a new updated version of an old favorite of mine, Purple Iris 5. I took the reference photo last year, and I have used it in many different ways. I wanted to see if I could do something new with it and I like what I did with it.

The painting progress of "Iris abstraction 14"

Some wanted to see the painting process of this one. I rarely take pictures while I am painting, but I did it this time.

Iris abstraction 14

130 $  (+75 $ Shipping & handling)  Click here to purchase

This is my last painting left to show (I think), either I have to start painting again or take a break from posting, you have to wait and see. I am sure I will have something to show soon, have nothing to do for the next 4 weeks than paint, enjoy the summer and life in general.
I usually don't take pictures of the progress of a painting, but did it this time, perhaps I post them later.

Iris abstraction 13

65 $  (+ 50 $ shipping and handling)  Click here to purchase

I usually like to crop and cut, getting close to an object, but I pulled the Iris flower back and show more of the negative spaces. I tried to keep the background fun and lively, but not too much, didn't want it to compete with the flowers attention.

Iris abstraction 10

Not For Sale

This is the first painting I did of this kind of Iris, and it lead to me doing the larger painting with 3 of them. I wanted the background to be vivid but not drawing too much attention away from the flower, so I went with softer earthy colors and I think it worked well.

Iris abstraction 8

65 $ ( + 50 $ shipping and handling)  Click here to purchase

With this one I continued to paint wet on wet and to play with the shapes and colors. I like the abstract feel of this one.

Iris abstraction 11

130 $  (+ 75 $ Shipping and handling) Click here to purchase

It is no secret that I have painted a lot of Irises lately. When I visited my father a few weeks back I took photos of an Iris flower that inspired this painting. It had a different color setting. It is a nice challenge to paint yellowish white in an interesting way. I did paint a single flower first on a 16" x 16" canvas hardboard-MDF, but I think I show this first.

Iris abstraction 7

70 $ ( + 50 $ Shipping and handling) Click here to purchase

I had a blast painting this Iris. I continued exploring painting wet on wet, not letting the acrylic dry before working on the same area again.

Iris abstraction 6

60 $ ( + 30 $ shipping and handling)  Click here to purchase

The Irises is in full bloom over here, and I am running around, trying to get as many reference photos as I can.
This is one is inspired of one of those photos. If you got photos to share, please do. I can never get too many of them.

Iris abstraction 3

 90 $ (+ 50 $ shipping and handling) Click here to purchase

The Irises are starting to bloom over here, so I will be busy taking reference photos for future use. This one was inspired from photographs I took last year (later realized that I had taken too few). If anyone got photographs of good quality to share, with single and groups of Iris flowers, I would be so happy.

Iris abstraction 4

SOLD

Here is another Iris painting inspired by one of the pictures I got from Martine Alison. I also include a picture I took when I was in one of the largest parks here in Malmö. This duck stuck out from the rest and I guess it is an albino Mallard duck. It still got some colors, but it looks wrong and those red eyes makes it look evil.

Iris abstraction 5

60 $ (+35 $ shipping and handling) Click here to purchase

When I posted my "Iris abstraction 2", I got an e-mail containing some nice compliments and a couple of reference photos of Iris flowers. I used those for inspiration and this is one of those painting that is a result of it.

Thank you Martine for the photos, I really appreciated it. If you like to see Martine's paintings, take a look at her blog "My dollhouse has a great air of painting".

Iris abstraction 1

40 $ (+30 $ shipping and handling) Click here to purchase

I name a lot of my paintings right now "abstraction". I always paint more or less abstract, am never trying to paint a subject as it really is. After I did the painting "Iris variation" I wondered what it would have looked like if I roughed it up more, gone more abstract with it. I am working a lot with keeping things fresh, to even avoid doing things too perfect. If I don't achieve it, I get bored with the painting.

Purple Iris 14

50 $ Click here to purchase

This is a simple Iris painting. Have no idea why, can't put my finger on it, but this is one of those photographs that doesn't do the painting justice.

Purple Irises in the shade

This is me at the moment. I paint when I feel like it, I have no ambition to sell, I paint cause I love it, not for any other reason. I will still be happy if people like my work and buy it though.
I am working my day job, like always, but I will not feel the need to produce and post every single day. Not that it will mean that my paintings will be better for it, but I will not have to push it to get it posted.

This is a darker exploration of my favorite flower.

Purple Iris 13

SOLD

My last 2 larger Iris paintings was drawn to the more graphic feel (Purple Iris 12 & Yellow Iris 3), and I kept the colors down, especially in the background. With this Iris painting I went bigger and with bolder colors. First I went with a calmer greenish background, I liked it, but I thought it was too safe, so a few days later I reworked the background. You can be the judge if I did the right thing, I think I did.