Retrospective Part 4

Florals

"Ceramic Birds & Morning Glory Vase" - Pastel - 11x14 - 1998

Ultimately, flowers became my favorite subject matter. My mother has always been an avid gardener and I grew up following her around the yard asking the names of all the flowers and learning the difference between annuals and perennials. I learned to love flowers, but somehow, not gardening. :\  Don't get me wrong. I love to plant flowers, but whether they live or die is up to them.

Anyway, creating images of flowers, in all mediums, is a huge source of joy. Interestingly enough, the flowers in this first image were from my yard (obviously something survived my rather crude gardening methods). I had just made a breakthrough in my handling of pastels and was having a great time with them. What I love most about this painting, though, are the ceramic birds and vase. They had been made by my grandmother almost 40 years earlier. I realize that when she made these she must have been around the same age I am now.

"Nasturtiums II" - Pastel - 16x17 - 1999

The nasturtiums in this second image also came from my yard. Hmmm... maybe I'm a little more into gardening than I realize. I absolutely adore nasturtiums and enjoy representing them in collage, too.

"Blue Vase - Pastel - 11x14 - 2002

This final piece of pansies (also grown by me) was painted as a homework assignment for a pastel workshop I was taking. Fact of the matter is, I never went back after the first session. The instructor was such a flake. Work was never really accomplished in the classroom unless the "energy was right." Most of the time he just talked about painting. I must have gotten something out of it though. This image was made in response to his encouragement to think about composition a little differently and I rather like the way it turned out.