This 9" x 12" painting of red roses is the third in my series of concept paintings. The concept here was color. The red roses are set against a nearly colorless background with only a hint of greenish umber to set them off. The focus of the painting is the rose lying on the table. Everything in the painting is orchestrated to bring this rose into focus. It has the hardest lines and the greatest contrast. It also has the boldest color. The light in picture frame illuminates it. Notice how the dark glass olive oil jar behind the rose loses its edges in the shadows. This is one of the hall marks of Chiaroscuro (light and shadow) painting. The vase and the highlighted rose are painted very thickly. Much of the painting has a generous paint layer but if you look closely, you can see the paint strokes on those two subjects.