I have always been captivated by flowers and roses are one of my favorite and timeless blooms, allow me to share a little bit about them with you.
Roses have captivated humanity for more than 5,000 years, making them one of the oldest cultivated flowers in history. Originating in Asia and later spreading through the Middle East and Europe, roses appeared in ancient gardens, mythology, and art long before they became symbols of romance. The ancient Greeks associated roses with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, while the Romans filled banquet halls and public fountains with rose petals as a sign of luxury and celebration.
During the Middle Ages, roses took on deeper symbolic meaning. They appeared in religious art to represent purity and devotion, while royal families adopted them as emblems of power most famously during England’s War of the Roses. By the Victorian era, roses became a refined language of emotion. When social etiquette discouraged open expressions of feeling, flowers spoke instead, and roses became the ultimate messengers of love, longing, gratitude, and remembrance.
Today, roses remain timeless. They bridge the classical and the modern, appearing just as naturally in a hand-written love note as they do in fine art, weddings, and home décor. A rose, whether painted, planted, or gifted, carries the enduring idea that beauty, when thoughtfully offered becomes a form of connection.
Each rose color carries its own message, rooted in centuries of symbolism:
- Red – Deep love, passion, and respect
- Pink – Grace, admiration, gratitude, and joy
- White – Purity, innocence, remembrance, and new beginnings
- Yellow – Friendship, warmth, happiness, and optimism
- Peach – Sincerity, appreciation, and modesty
- Lavender / Purple – Enchantment, love at first sight
- Orange – Desire, enthusiasm, and energy
This is why roses are so powerful, they allow us to say exactly what we feel, without a single word.
The Most Popular Rose of All Time
The rose most often cited as the most famous and widely beloved in the world is the ‘Peace’ Rose. Introduced at the end of World War II, this soft yellow and blush-pink hybrid tea rose became a global symbol of hope and harmony. It was presented to world leaders and planted in gardens across continents, making it not only a horticultural success but a historical one.
Its beauty, resilience, and meaning embody what roses have always represented: the quiet power of grace enduring through time.
Roses as Gifts, Stationery & Painted Keepsakes
For centuries, roses have been chosen not simply for their beauty, but for their ability to communicate what words sometimes cannot. When incorporated into gifting whether through stationery, hand-painted art, or keepsakes meant to be cherished, roses transform an object into a message. A rose becomes more than a flower; it becomes an intention.
In stationery and handwritten notes, roses have long symbolized thoughtfulness and care. A rose painted on a card or envelope signals that the message inside matters, that it was chosen, not rushed. Unlike fresh flowers that fade, a painted rose preserves the sentiment. It allows a moment of love, gratitude, or celebration to live on, tucked into a drawer, framed on a desk, or revisited years later.
On the picture you can see my hand painted Famille Rose Collection print in stationary, table runners and more. See more of it HERE
Painted roses, in particular, hold a quiet intimacy. Each brushstroke carries the artist’s hand and the giver’s emotion, turning paper into a keepsake. Whether gifted for Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s gatherings, Mother’s Day, weddings, or everyday moments of appreciation, a rose rendered in watercolor becomes a lasting love note, one that never wilts. It’s this permanence that makes roses such a natural companion to meaningful gifts and heirloom stationery.
In a world of quick messages and fleeting gestures, roses especially those painted and preserved, invite us to slow down. They remind us that beauty, when thoughtfully given, becomes something personal, timeless, and deeply felt.
Roses Painted Live and Gifts Meant to Be Kept
Roses have always been a language of meaning love, gratitude, remembrance, and joy making them the perfect subject for gifts designed to last. In my LIVE watercolor series, roses are not painted simply as flowers, but as messages. Each painting is created with the intention that it will be gifted, saved, framed, or revisited long after the moment it was made.
"Roses are meant to be painted slowly, one petal at a time and given generously."
Below you see the "You make me smile" collection, I named it that years ago because pink is the official color of happiness. My hand painted print for sale on the site, soft petals, timeless beauty.
Painting roses live allows us to slow down and be present with the act of giving. Every brushstroke becomes part of the story: a thoughtful pause, a quiet sentiment, a moment of care translated into color and paper. Unlike fresh roses that fade within days, a painted rose becomes a keepsake, one that holds the emotion of the moment it was created and the meaning behind why it was given.
This is the heart of the LIVE watercolor series: creating artwork designed to be gifted and kept. Whether painted for Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s gatherings, Mother’s Day, or simply to say “I was thinking of you,” a watercolor rose becomes a lasting love note. It lives on a desk, in a frame (these are 5"x7"), shelf or tucked into a drawer, serving as a reminder that someone took the time to create something meaningful.
By painting roses together in real time, we’re not just learning technique, we’re creating intention. These are not practice pieces meant to be forgotten, but personal works of art meant to be shared, cherished, and remembered. Roses teach us that beauty is often found in the softest details. Even when we make mistakes with watercolor, that can be fixed and I will talk about that tonight yes top card on right (picture above) where the roses are inside a water glass- do you see the problem?
Paint with Ceci Mason on You Tube on Thursdays: 9-9:30p.m. ~ Flower Series.
"A rose painted by hand is a love note that never wilts."
Get art supplies on my LTK link (paid links) HERE
You can subscribe to my channel and also see the latest short video I posted a few days ago of my happy Acrylic Painting Masterpiece perfect for my Valentin'es, Galentine's or Mother's Day HERE and please give it a like, I appreciate your support. Or click the picture below to see it.
You will see the "Maison des Fleurs" meaning House of Flowers, yes my house IS filled with flowers!
To see that painting for sale on my site just go to available paintings. Here comes your GIFT that I designed for you!
I am so grateful for you HERE are some darling gift tags as a gift to you for all your support. If the PDF file does not work, try the jpg file HERE. Thank you for coming to my LIVE class and all your likes on You Tube, Insta and Pinterest, I appreciate you! They are an instant download that you can print on card stock and use, simply add a hole at the top.
ART | TABLE TOP | FLORALS
"Tonight we paint roses, one petal at a time".
Thank you for reading and I hope to see you there on my LIVES every Thursday at 9:00p.m., on You Tube, thank you,
Ceci Mason
