Tulips, In Abstract

I'm back working in oils, and I must say, though I do enjoy acrylics, oils is my favourite, will remain so. I just like its feel... its sensuousness. Though acrylics do create vivid colours too, but I feel oil colours are deeper.. I can't quite put my finger to it... must think more about it..

As for this painting, I like how the flowers have come out, though I think the stems are looking a little too weak and spindly - needs more highlights, and just a little thickening. I'm still pondering whether I should put some leaves in - my plan had been to put the leaves in, as it is in the picture I painted it from. But, at the moment, I feel I don't want to clutter it up. Besides, the leaves will cover up all that beautiful background I've created.

I've been working on this one for quite a while. In fact, I made the background and sketched the tulips, but just didn't know how I wanted to approach it - whether to attempt a realistic look or go totally abstract. Finally, I just took the bull by its horns and let my brush do what it wanted to.

And now, another blank canvas awaits me, which always fills me with trepidation and the fidgets. Talking about this with one of my artist friends the other day, he agreed that he too got the jitters when faced with a blank canvas. He thought that the fear of failure, of botching it up, is what makes us fearful. It's like taking that plunge into an unknown pool of water - you know you can swim, but you don't know the water you are venturing into. You wonder what unknown creatures lurk there, whether they would allow you to swim peacefully, or pull you down and drown you.