Been thinking a lot about my garden these days. Zinnias, daylilies, and my roses are on my list of flowers I hope to have for painting. Been turning more of the garden over to flowers, not just for subjects to paint but for the visitors I enjoy. Butterflies, bees, and a variety of birds are the visitors my mother always planted for. A red sunflower always brought a menagerie of bees and butterflies. Setting up my easel in my backyard always brings me rewards, not always good paintings, but simple joys seeing nature at work. Sometimes mixed feelings, though, when I see a baby rabbit appear then promptly cut off the tulip blossom I had plans for...
Though I love seeing my garden in full bloom and do do some painting out among the lilacs and daffodils, my real reward comes when I take my flowers into my studio where I work them into my still-life compositions which I so enjoy. It's their color and shapes I love working with, arranging them in such a way as to create interesting shapes that demand drawing and a sense of design. In the studio I can add the background that will provide a sense of place and mystery. When seeing one of my still-life paintings people will wonder just where is my studio? A silhouette of a city may be the setting for a bouquet of rover mums while another will have a weathered barn adding to the mystery. I love the rich dark backgrounds many artists use for their set-ups, but for me, I like a bit more of a story for my still-life paintings. The idea of my paintings containing stories is my way of keeping interest in each of my works. All my paintings have stories. Friends give me potted plants and cut flowers, which carry stories of those who gifted them to me for my studio window. Anne, who is a master gardener, has allowed me into her garden to paint models among her creation of ponds, blue bottles, and her array of blooms. In the studio I'll recall what she told me about the flowers she sent home with me and I will relive my visits with Anne.
