Gathering Roses: When Love Filled the House

Roses are synonymous with love. Romantic love. Family love. The love of friends. They carry meaning across generations.

When I was growing up, we had several rose bushes around our house. One of them was enormous, full of rich red blooms that would burst open all at once. It felt dramatic in the best way. Generous. Abundant.

When they bloomed, we would cut them and bring them inside. The fragrance would fill the entire house. It wasn’t subtle. It was joyful.

Gathering Roses is a remembrance of that feeling.

I didn’t approach this piece tightly or carefully. It came together effortlessly, almost as if it wanted to exist. I built layers and layers of paint using a palette knife to create thick texture and movement. I used a spray bottle to soften edges, push color, and allow the paint to interact in unexpected ways.

The layering mirrors memory itself,  not flat, but dimensional and alive.

The result is a textured abstract rose painting that evokes happiness and warmth. It feels like standing in front of a bouquet so full it spills over. It feels like love that fills a room.

Some paintings are about process.
Some are about experimentation.
This one is about memory.

And sometimes, gathering roses is simply about choosing to gather love.