It’s a special piece to me.
I only occasionally do still life pieces but I always enjoy the results. I love flowers and am slowly increasing the number of blooming plants I have on our properly. I find joy in seeing them from the house through the rain or hot sun, they bring bees and butterflies and birds. I like to stand in the middle of the big bed I built last spring and smell the subtle fragrances as they drift on the breeze.
I began this painting in 2015, but spent several years wrestling over colors and movement across the background that would show off the main event. It’s my favorite part of painting these days, the exploration that comes after you’ve settled into an image and layout. It’s a kind of scavenger hunt that all takes place quietly inside as I try to “see” ahead, then try something then adjust or wipe out and go looking again. When you hit it in the best of times there’s ring of truth and you stop searching.