Isobel

Very accomplished painting, Brian, and a powerful image...

A beautiful portrait painting, and the roses are excellent, it’s painted beautifully Brian. I particularly like how you had felt with the folds in the blouse and skirt.

What a wonderful poem for a wonderful painting, superb!

A luxurious setting and the folds in the blouse are beautifully painted.

Amazing detail Brian. How long does it take you to paint something like this?

Awesome...

Very well painted Brian.

stunning work Brian.

super

The full poem is about unrequited love and is sadly appropriate:- Never give all the heart, for love Will hardly seem worth thinking of To passionate women if it seem Certain, and they never dream That it fades out from kiss to kiss; For everything that's lovely is But a brief, dreamy, kind delight. O never give the heart outright, For they, for all smooth lips can say, Have given their hearts up to the play. And who could play it well enough If deaf and dumb and blind with love? He that made this knows all the cost, For he gave all his heart and lost.

Rather a sad poem but the portrait is full of beauty and life, and those gorgeous big red roses have such an impact.

Thanks Marjorie. My oil paintings always take a long, long time - usually several months but it is just a hobby I enjoy; a labour of love. I don't usually sell my paintings. I can never understand painting competitions on TV where the artists have to complete a painting in a few hours. Paintings shouldn't be rushed in that way. In any case, you can't varnish an oil painting until it is completely dry, which can take months.

If you look closely there is a trickle of blood on her wrist. Classic Rock aficionados may remember 'Every rose has it's thorn' by Poison:- We both lie silently still In the dead of the night Although we both lie close together We feel miles apart inside Was it something I said or something I did Did the words not come out right Though I tried not to hurt you Though I tried But I guess that's why they say Every rose has its thorn Just like every night has its dawn Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song Every rose has its thorn Yeah it does I listen to our favorite song Playing on the radio Hear the DJ say loves a game of easy come and Easy go But I wonder does he know Has he ever felt like this And I know that you'd be here right now If I could have let you know somehow I guess Every rose has its thorn Just like every night has its dawn Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song Every rose has its thorn Though it's been a while now I can still feel so much pain Like a knife that cuts you the wound heals But the scar, that scar remains I know I could have saved a love that night If I'd known what to say Instead of makin' love We both made our separate ways And now I hear you found somebody new And that I never meant that much to you To hear that tears me up inside And to see you cuts me like a knife I guess Every rose has its thorn Just like every night has its dawn Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song Every rose has its thorn

I need to find her. She is the only one I have ever had real feelings for. My life has no meaning without her. Can anyone help?

I guess not. On another note 'Why spend months working on artwork for it to be lost in a sea of obscurity online?' Perhaps a contentious view, but I sometimes wonder if painters-online.co.uk for paintings may have become similar to to flickr.com for photographs - many submissions without moderation.