STORY BEHIND THE ART OF CLAUDIA CAMPAZZO

23rd Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at Wave Hill

Faded Rose

Rosa Hybrid

Late last summer I was pruning a fragile rosebush that grows on the edge of my patio. This poor little bush was planted before my time at this house and has been neglected over the years. The adjoining plants encroach on its space relentlessly, yet the little bush keeps coming back with beautiful, pale-pink blooms. On that day, I held a fading rose in my hand, and its beautiful vulnerability struck me. At first I was unsure of what to do with it. It felt as if moving just lightly would cause it to disintegrate. I gently sat down with my sketch book and pencils and tried to capture it. I also took several photos before the dying flower fell apart. I was sad to have lost such a gorgeous specimen, and I decided to paint it so that I could spend more time with it.

I used soft washes of pale pink, yellow, and peach colors for the petals, letting the pigment drift on its own in previously wetted surfaces. To give the petals the wrinkly texture of the dying rose, I enhanced the texture of the cold-pressed paper with soft brush strokes. In contrast, I worked on the fuzzy texture of the sepal, using a dry brush and bright greens and yellows.

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Read more about this artist’s work: 22nd Annual