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OSU researchers bringing more flower power to special occasions
This weekend, mothers all over the nation will receive bouquets of flowers for their special day. But what if you could give mom flowers she could enjoy day and night?
Researchers in the Oklahoma State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture are studying how flowers can shine as bright in the night as they do in the daytime.
“I’ve always had an interest in glow-in-the-dark plants,” professor Bruce Dunn said. “When you receive a flower arrangement, you only get to enjoy it for 10 to 14 days, so you should get to see it during the day and at night. This quality would give it increased value.”
Abby Pace, an OSU undergraduate student who entered the Horticulture Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates program during her sophomore year, was given the task of researching how white carnations could glow in the dark.
“No one has really done anything related to glow-in-the-dark applications,” Dunn said. “When you tint a flower, you increase its economic value, but most tinting that has been done to flowers has just been normal coloring of flowers. We wanted to achieve that glow-in-dark factor.”
Giving flowers a glow-in-the-dark quality is normally done through gene therapy, which is expensive. Dunn said the closest thing he and Pace found to their study was a research project on root uptake with beets that gave them a slight glow.
“I knew I wanted to do a greenhouse study. Dr. Dunn had two different studies, and I was selected for this one. So, it kind of chose me, but I’ve been really excited about it,” Pace said. “It’s an interesting topic, and I have been happy to be part of this research.”
In fact, Pace was so passionate about her research that it turned into three research projects over the course of two years.
Pace and Dunn found that flowers uptaking glow-in-the-dark substances through their roots did not give them a strong enough glow, so they moved on to topical methods, such as spray paint and highlighter markers. They found that the spray paint worked to give the glow-in-the-dark effect, while the highlighters did not. But glow-in-the-dark spray paint only comes in green, so Pace tried glow-in-the-dark powder mixed in water.
Now, as a senior for her Honors College project, Pace is applying red, orange, white, green and blue phosphorescent powder topically to the petals of red and white roses.
“When you get a bouquet of flowers, you don’t usually get all white flowers; you get them in different colors,” Pace said. “We decided to see how each of the colors showed up on darker-colored flowers. That’s where the red roses and the additional colors came in.”
Pace said their research has found that powder is the best method to achieve a glow. The red powder gave no glow to the roses, while the blue and green powders gave the strongest glow. The white roses emitted the brightest glow.
“In all the studies, we found that exposure to ultraviolet light increases the glow,” Pace said. “After charging the flowers with the light, the glow of the flowers was really enhanced.”
Dunn added the method didn’t deteriorate the flowers’ quality, either.
“You still get 10 days out of the flowers,” Dunn said.
Pace took her research one step further. She took pictures of the flowers, then analyzed them through a computer program to see what the RGB values of the colors were. She then used a computer program to convert those values into wavelengths. This told the researchers which color in the picture was more dominant, allowing them to determine in another way which colors had a stronger glow.
Pace’s research was published in the prominent scientific magazine HortScience last year.
“There has been a lot of learning and growth for me over the three years of this research. Once I learned the process of research, I realized it was not as intimidating as it appeared to be,” Pace said. “This research has made me want to continue my education and go on to graduate school. It has been a great experience.”
How to paint red roses in a silver bowl
Equipment
Colours
Cadmium lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow light
Transparent oxide red
Permanent alizarin crimson
Sandra Corpora demonstrates a still-life painting of red roses in a silver bowl, using oils on an aluminium panel, and shares her top tips for exploring colour.
Deep Red Roses in Silver, oil on aluminum composite panel, (40.5x51cm)
‘I was working towards a group exhibition of still-life paintings and thought to challenge myself by painting deep red roses in a silver bowl,’ says Sandra. ‘One of the things I like best about still life is that you can completely control your composition. It can take hours to get the elements chosen, arranged just right, and make the lighting behave for you.’
Setting up the still life
‘I knew my painting was to be about the richly coloured red roses. For contrast, I chose a light drapery background, which even in shadow, would be about a seven on a value scale.
‘I liked the contrasting brightness of the silver bowl that reflected everything around it, including me. So I wore something black and moved some things around in my studio to control what was in the reflection.
‘I wanted the single light source to be from my north-facing window, although a supplementary light with a daylight bulb coming from the same direction is sometimes necessary. The point of view is also very important; in this case I wanted the bowl to be slightly below eye level.
‘I used my phone to take photographs to check the placement of blooms, leaves, shadows, compositional lines, gaps, odd negative shapes, tangents, and anything that doesn’t look right. Be patient and deliberate at this stage. It’s more efficient to arrange your still life exactly the way you want before you start painting. Major corrections mid-painting will slow you down, not to mention sap your creative energy.
‘If you’re painting flowers, they may need to be photographed during the painting process because a bloom could assume more beautiful shapes or lose the beautiful shapes it had. However, depending on the flower, they can give you several good days of ‘posing’. When painting, aim to capture first any shapes and colours that might change.’
Colours and values
Red roses are difficult to paint because when in light and shadow, the value range of the blooms is mid-value to darkest value. So the challenge was to show the lightest value of red on the petals hit by strongest light and maintain the rich red colour. Using white to make a lighter red, I’d get pink and the chroma would be wrong.
I explored all my red paint tubes. I wanted to rank the colours from lightest to darkest reds and warmest to coolest, so that I could determine which reds to select for my palette. I wanted to have a good idea how I might achieve the rich red colours of these flowers before I started painting.
I squeezed out a little of all the reds I have – and I must admit I have probably too many – I could see that the red paint colours ranged in value from middle to dark and in temperature from warm to cool. The lighter red colours are mostly opaque and often cadmium colours. With this information I could narrow the choice of red colours for my palette.
These colour tests will be useful reference going forward. I now can see by brand how the colours and even the paint varies in consistency.
Here are my red paint tubes with the test swatches, labelled by brand and colour and tinted with white. On the right is a test with all my different alizarin crimson colours
Description
Discover the resplendent beauty of “RED & WHITE ROSES,” an original acrylic painting presented by UrArtStudio.com. Measuring 12×14 inches and created with acrylics, this artwork is a masterpiece that radiates the timeless allure of these iconic flowers.
“RED & WHITE ROSES” beckons you into a world of natural elegance, where the scarlet and ivory petals of the roses are impeccably captured. The artist’s skilled use of acrylics brings these flowers to life, displaying a remarkable level of detail and texture. Each brushstroke seems to convey the delicate softness of the petals and the vibrant richness of their colors.
The application of high-gloss acrylic varnish serves a dual purpose – it safeguards the painting, ensuring its enduring beauty, while also providing a captivating glossy finish. The varnish adds depth and luminosity to the artwork, enhancing the lifelike quality of the roses.
This painting is more than a mere representation; it’s an exceptional, entirely unique work of art. “RED & WHITE ROSES” invites you to embrace the classic symbolism of love and beauty that roses embody. Whether adorning your living space or serving as an elegant gift, this artwork encapsulates the timelessness of floral artistry.
When you acquire “RED & WHITE ROSES,” you’re not just obtaining a painting; you’re inviting the enduring elegance of roses into your life. This artwork is a celebration of love, beauty, and the art of nature, exquisitely captured on canvas.
