Roses Are Red

Medium: Oil on wood panel

Size: 12″ x 12″ x 0.75″

Year of creation: 2024

Artwork Availability: Available

Roses Are Red is part of my Altered Realism series.

This painting was born from a desire to fuse realism with expressive abstraction — to tell a quiet, emotional story through texture, color, and gaze.

As I worked on this piece, I envisioned a woman whose power lies not in words, but in the intensity of her presence. Her eyes speak volumes — they are steady, sharp, and quietly soulful, holding secrets she chooses not to share. The grayscale tones of her face ground the portrait in a sense of seriousness and depth, while the bold red rose — luminous and layered with gold — becomes a striking symbol of her passion, sensuality, and vulnerability.

The addition of gold leaf and vibrant turquoise accents represents emotional complexity. The gold drips like veins of strength or trails of memory, while the turquoise bursts act like flickers of spirit, intuition, or even emotional turbulence breaking through her composed exterior.

I created Roses Are Red during a time when I was reflecting on identity — especially the masks we wear and the raw beauty that lies just beneath. This piece explores that tension: between restraint and expression, poise and emotion, shadow and flame.

It’s not just a portrait. It’s a moment of confrontation and connection — where the viewer is invited to look closer and feel the fire behind the stillness.