Love Line 2018

Rose Freymuth-Frazier made this oil painting, “Love Line”, with roses and a heart-shaped telephone receiver. The piece is a contemporary take on portraiture, embracing both realism and surrealism to evoke a world of dreams. The layering of paint is quite subtle, with delicate brushstrokes blending the flowers and the subject. The light falls softly, creating a gentle glow that enhances the dreamlike quality. I love the way Freymuth-Frazier uses color to convey emotion, especially how the warm pinks of the roses contrast with the cool blues and blacks of the suit. Those roses, with their delicate curves and folds, remind me of the impermanence of beauty. The detail of the telephone receiver, shaped like a heart, injects a playful, almost surreal note into the composition, asking us to think about love and technology. Thinking of other artists, Freymuth-Frazier’s style reminds me of the Pre-Raphaelites, who were interested in a lush, romantic form of realism.