Painting Collection, February 2024: Red Camellias

Painting by Jackie Vresics.

Caught between rivers of rain, 

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Painting Collection, February 2024: Red Camellias

Caught between rivers of rain, when the ground seemed to hold its breath and duck under sheets of water, right before spring’s cusp, the camellia blooms defiant, unshaken: a declaration of life's tenacity. This February, our brushstrokes were devoted to red camellias.

​With its honed, waxy petals, the camellia flower blooms in defiance of the less friendly winter elements when other flowers are still in the chrysalis stage, offering a glimpse of the coming spring. Its resilience is a testament to enduring beauty and a reminder that even the most discombobulated conditions give way to new beginnings. The red camellia, in particular, evokes the anticipation of auspiciousness, the warmth of love, and the willfulness of life’s pulse.

Painting by Sarah Jennings

We combined the depth of Mars Black, the darkest black pigment, with the vibrancy of two reds to represent this concept visually in our paintings. Always a complex color, Mars Black pushed us to work harder to capture nuances in contrast, depth, and emotion. It is a color that demanded restraint but offered, in return, dramatic results, giving the red camellias an unconventional effect.

​This month's paintings were as much of a visual feast as they were a challenge. We introduced two reds to our palette that we had never used before, Quinacridone Red and Naphthol Red, just for this collection.

With unique temperature, tone, and textural possibilities, Quinacridone Red offered a retracted complement with its slightly blue undertone, while Naphthol Red provided a warmer, more vivid accent. The interplay of these elements in our paintings turned the experience into a new study of harmony, contrast, depth, and vibrancy.

Painting by Sarah Jennings

​The 'Red Camellias' collection was an ode to the complexity and duality of life. It is a collection that celebrates the natural resilience of beauty, the cultural significance of the Lunar New Year, and the universal language of love and prosperity. Through the interplay of darkness and saturation, warmth and coolness, we paid homage to the flower and the essence of the human spirit: ever-enduring, ever-vibrant, ever-red.