LAUREL BEST • ARTIST • CANADA Laurel Best is a professional watercolour artist. Her subject matter is varied, but animals and flowers are favourites. Her artwork can be found in collections throughout the world. Laurel has been teaching art for the past 8 years and is currently teaching online. She loves painting watercolour pet portrait commissions. Instagram: @ LaurelBestArt
‘Pomegranates’
‘Red Barn in Winter’ is about the traditional red barn. When I think of a barn I automatically think of a red barn. I enjoyed painting this as a winter scene as it really puts the focus on the red barn. I used an iridescent medium on the snow to make it sparkle in this 11”x14” watercolour piece. Farms seem like such a calm place in the country but red on a barn really stands out and makes a confident statement. ‘Red Rose’ Nothing says passion like a red rose. I love to paint roses and for this rose I referenced a photo I took at Gairloch Gardens in Oakville. I have many watercolour reds: Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Rose Madder, Permanent Rose to name a few. For this rose I wanted a strong red with some transparency so I choose Alizarin. I also painted it in Rose Madder. But I love the dark bold red that you can get with Alizarin and together contrasted with Aureolin Yellow it makes a bold statement.
The Red Book April 2021 • 169
