‘Antique Perfume Bottle, Red’. Oil on 13×13″ wood. Rose Strang 2020

‘Antique Perfume Bottle, Clear’. Oil on 13×13″ wood. Rose Strang 2020

Today’s paintings – two antique perfume bottles.

These were quite therapeutic to paint – a distraction from the commission I’m working on, which can’t be revealed until October 2021! They’re a simple study of light on glass. I can tell you my favourite part was painting that nice swathe of deep crimson with a broad flat brush in the middle of the red bottle. With the clear one I took a few shortcuts with blobs of ochr, black blue and white with scratches through to the white gessoed board beneath, I was excited to see it worked – it looks like thick-cut crystal – very satisfying. Though I’ve been painting most of my life, this trick of painting the way light falls on objects always surprises me! I’m happy too with the subtle red reflection under the red bottle on to the oak table.

The red bottle belongs to my mum, I think it’s one of the most beautiful objects. These Victorian glass perfume bottles are now worth £200 or so, I discovered online.

They’ll be on exhibition at The Limetree Gallery Bristol from tomorrow as part of their Christmas Show, so if you like the look of these you can contact the gallery on their website – Limetree Gallery

I felt they had a Christmas feel with their winter light and sparkling colours – they were such a pleasure to paint!