Singing Flowers

-


After posting this latest watercolor on my Facebook page, one of my friends commented "Move over, Georgia!" Although I prefer to think of my flowers as singers rather than sex organs, I appreciated the compliment.


Painting flowers in plen-air is a wonderful experience. I did my first one this summer in a friends garden. ("Stairway to Heaven-Blue Iris" is currently on display at the Ed Gray Gallery in Calumet, Michigan.) What amazed me so much was the movement of the flowers even on the calmest of days. Whenever I picked out a flower to photograph, it would start swaying gently back and forth. This was not my imagination, as I am a steady handed photographer and there was not even the slightest breeze. I believe the flowers were responding to my intense admiration of them.


After taking several photos for later reference and possible studio paintings, I selected one in the field and began painting. As I painted, everything became very quiet. I started to see things in the flowers. Joy. Love. Light. Life...the patterns of the tiny veins in the petals looked so much like the veins in my hands and wrists. And I wondered, if these flowers could speak, what would they say. As time passed that afternoon, I decided that they were not speaking, but singing....wordless songs of joy intoned on the vowel "Ah...."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
DETROIT WHOLE FOODS MURAL! Earlier this week I was notified that my design won the Whole Foods Detroit Mural competition. There were close to 100 designs submitted, so this was quite an honor to be selected as one of the four finalists. The murals will appear on the exterior of the building on the north side of Mac just east of Woodward in downtown Detroit. My design is based on health, vitality and community--a true reflection of what is currently happening in Detroit. The city is in the middle of a revitalization and it's exciting to see. I was there during Noel Night this December and was amazed at the crowds, the activity and excitement. It felt young and fresh and I wanted to be a part of it. I am truly honored to have been chosen and look forward to starting this project. Completion will be in early spring. I'll post photos of the dedication ceremony when it occurs. 
Read more

Ann Arbor Observed

-
Image
At Last! My first published book is available from Cottage & Farm Press. It's 22 years of Observer cover art including scenes of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor parks and neighborhoods, daily life and events. The book is only $29.95 and includes 48 pages of Ann Arbor Observer covers including anecdotes about my life and the techniques I used to create the illustrations. Hard cover, 12 x 12 inches. It makes a great gift or coffee table book. I'll be introducing it officially at the State Street Ann Arbor Art Fair starting July 18th through the 21st. Come visit me there and I'll sign the book, or order the book from www.cottageandfarm.com It will also be available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble in a few months and Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor starting July 20th. Hope you like it!
Read more

Painting Bryce Canyon

-
Image
The photo this painting is based on was taken during a semi-cloudy day in Bryce Canyon. Any day there is an extraordinary day. The rock colors are particularly difficult to capture. They change moment by moment as the light moves around them. In this painting I used a series of reds from warm to cool to show the subtle light play. The rocks with the most sun on them are the warmest, including the shadows. That is the most difficult concept to understand. The shadows are actually much warmer than normal. I believe this is due to the bounced light from the red rocks themselves. It's not apparent in the photo, as the camera tends to interpret shadow as a cool tone, but since I was there, I remember the colors vividly. Using watercolors to depict reds can be challenging. The color rarely dries with the intensity that you intended, and placing a second coat on the painting often takes away the freshness. I found myself using colors directly out of the tubes for this painting. Colors li
Read more