The Last Rose of Summer watercolour doodle (original | embellished prints)

The sun is warm but the air is crisp, and the garden is putting on its last rose bloom for the season. I couldn't help but be inspired to create another watercolour doodle in my ongoing observational series! A few liberties were taken, as there were also gorgeous echinacea flowers to capture, which get even more beautiful as they age, but the focus was on these most stunning roses. Some were from my garden and others from the Lady Norwood Rose Garden.

Painted on the highest quality Arches 300 gsm hot press paper, the original is 18x23cm. The limited-edition giclee prints are A5 size (15x21cm), printed on fine-art paper, and embellished with gold watercolour paints. There are 30 in the limited edition.

About the artwork

I chose an unusual colour palette for me, ranging from burnt orange to pink to crimson. The addition of the orange captures the autumnal feel in the air. And of course it wouldn't be complete without some gold! I love my new miniature Silver Brushes too - perfect for all the tiny details.

From top to bottom and left to right

1. One last echinacea blossom bursts forth, with a cone only just developing.
2. Jacqueline du Pré - a stunning David Austin rose named after the cellist.
3. Ebb Tide - another gorgeous David Austin rose (also available as a fine-art photographic print)
4. Ann Endt - my favourite heirloom rose named after rosarian Nancy Steen's gardener.
5. Scentimental - a variegated red and white stunner.
6. For Your Eyes Only - a rose with a fascinating and complex tonal range of sunset colours, from pink to apricot, cerise to maroon.
7.  Rote Max Graf hips - one of the few non-scented rose I've allowed in my garden, because it has an incredible hip display.
8. An echinacea flower, pink petals withering and centre cone a blaze of orange - beautiful at every stage.
9. Ann Endt hips, lush and red with lovely long sepals