100 Roses | JenGillenArt

100 Roses

I'm musing over the possibility of painting 100 roses at approximately the same size each. Here are first 7 finished roses. Do you think I can make it to 100? Check back in every once in a while to see how it's going.

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Peach Drift Rose

The surprising thing about roses, is their hardiness. When I talk to people about roses, they often mention how difficult they are to grow. That might be true about some roses, but new cultivars are bred for climate and pest resistance. The drift rose is a good example of a tough rose. I found this one in a parking lot median in the heat of a Dallas summer. It was thriving in just a bit of pea gravel.

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Watercolor on Paper

Rosa Midnight Blue

Here is another beautiful rose from the Huntington Gardens. It is difficult to see the beauty of this rose's color in daylight. With a shiny sun, the rose looks almost black. But if you can view it under cloud cover, gorgeous pinks and purples emerge.

15x11
Watercolor on Paper

Rosamundi

This is the first rose I painted from my recent trip to the Huntington Rose Garden in Pasadena, CA. It is a Gallica rose also known as Gallica Versicolor.

15x11
Watercolor on Paper

Rosa Dortmund

Rosa Dortmund is a beautiful climber. This rose will overtake walls and fences with its elegant clusters of simple blooms. I love it for its lush growth pattern, stunning true red color and bright white ringed centers. It also smells lovely.

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Watercolor on Paper

Rosa Falstaff

This vibrant rose is from the Farmers Branch Rose Garden's trial plantings of David Austin Roses. It was one of the few blooms flourishing in the 102 degree Texas heat this summer.

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Watercolor on Paper

Simple Roses

This is a simple 5-7 petaled rose growing in the front flower bed at my house. I don't know what it is named.

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Watercolor on Paper

Rose Duchesse de Brabant

This is the first rose in the series, inspired by a climbing rose from my own garden. In real life, this rose plant is about seven feet tall and has trampled its trellis.

15x11
Watercolor on Paper