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APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS
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Wow, has there been a lot of rain this month! Has anyone else had “April showers bring May flowers” playing on repeat inside their head? While that refrain twirls around and around in the ether, the three of us remarked on how many artists depict flowers these days. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and there are, without question, more blossoms being captured than there were a decade ago. What accounts for this increased curiosity and appreciation for flora? Are we connecting with a natural world that is clearly in distress? Is there something more compelling about the duality of fragility and perseverance these days? And, speaking of flowers, Mother’s Day is on the horizon. Consider blooms that last forever. See below for some of our favorites from recent studio visits.
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Left and below: Still Point Dahlias 2, 2023, inkjet print on Canson Platine Fiber paper, 15 x 20”, $900 ($1,500 framed), 22 1/2x30” $1,800. “ I'm drawn to flowers for their transient beauty and their instant ability to uplift my mood. The dahlias in these photos are grown by my neighbor at Still Point Farm in Old Chatham, NY. “ |
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“Each summer, she invites my daughter and me to pick them. She cultivates an impressive array of sizes and colors, making this an annual activity we look forward to all year long. These images showcase the flowers in motion, set against a backdrop I painted myself. I find the movement in these photos to be a fitting symbol of the evanescence of flowers and the freedom of childhood summers.” |
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Left: Still Point Dahlias 3, 2023, inkjet print on Canson Platine Fiber paper, 15x20”, $900 ($1,500 framed), 22 1/2x30” $1,800. |
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Right: Still Point Dahlias 1, 2023, inkjet print on Canson Platine Fiber paper, 15x20”, $900 ($1,500 framed), 22 1/2x30” $1,800. |
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“The peonies in my works were grown in my garden. I love the intimate process of growing them, watching them as they blossom, cutting them, and then painting them. I work quickly as their petals start to fall, and continue to paint as they dry and their colors fade to soft ochres and darker shades of pink. I continue to paint them each year. Every spring, with the blooming of the peonies in my backyard, comes a fresh crop of new work. “ |
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Above: High Chroma Peonies, 2023, oil on panel, 8x10”, $1,260 Right: Loosing our Petals Peonies, 2023, oil on panel, 8x8”, $1,120 |
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“The early morning ritual of painting flowers in the natural environment during the warm seasons deepens my relationship with nature. I typically observe and paint the flower from a vantage point that mimics its natural height to properly acknowledge its singularity and dignity, making our presences equivalent.” |
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Above: Botanical Study - Freesia, SUMI ink on watercolor paper, 5x7”, $175 Right: Botanical Study - Tulip 23, SUMI ink on watercolor paper, 5x7”, $175 |
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“I love flowers and I love gardening and, for me, painting is like gardening, especially in terms of color, composition, and the reality of dealing with an ever-changing result.” |
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Above: Chrysanthemums, 2024, oil on canvas, 10x8”, $1,700 Right: Green and White, 2024, oil on canvas, 14x11”, $1,900 |
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“I am creating flower pieces to celebrate people for who they are in every moment. If you think, when someone is born we get flowers, when someone achieves something we get flowers to celebrate or when someone passed away, we get flowers to celebrate how amazing they were. That’s why, I create eternal flowers to celebrate who we are.” |
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Above: Blossom Vase N.15, 2023, porcelain, 5x5x5 1/2”, $320 Right: Full Bloom, 2023, porcelain, 9x9x7”, $1,800 |
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“My approach, whether photographing still life, abstract or landscape is intuitive and stems from an idea or an emotion. Today, flowers have been my main area of focus. I choose them deliberately drawing from my childhood surroundings and I use them as metaphors and imbue them with the different feelings I am reflecting on.” |
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Above: Prelude, 2024, photograph on fine art rag paper, 12x18” image on 13x19” sheet, $650 ($1,000 framed) Right: Await, 2024, photograph on fine art rag paper, 12x18” image on 13x19” sheet, $650 ($1,000 framed) |
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“A few years ago, I began to focus on flowers as a subject. During the spring of 2020, I wanted to create something joyful, a departure from the panic, sadness, and doldrums of staying inside and social distancing. I took many long walks, visiting the greenery of Ridgewood Reservoir, observing neighbors' wild stoop plants, and colorful community gardens.” |
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Above: Before Sunset, 2024, gouache and watercolor on paper, 11x15", $550 Right: Reservoir Fringe, 2024, gouache on black paper, 10"x14", $550 Below: Some Days, 2024, gouache and watercolor on paper, 11x15", $550 |
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“As I continued referencing images of different flowers, I began to develop my own language of colors and shapes. The images started to flatten and become more pattern-like. What I love about painting flowers is that the language expands endlessly as I continue to observe flowers and foliage, exploring how I can add to the vocabulary—the color, the temperature, and the mood.” |
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“I love to paint flowers because my grandmother was an avid gardener and I spent hours playing in her magnificent garden. She raised roses of all different varieties, gardenia bushes, gorgeous flowering fruit trees, and lilacs. This time of year, with the smell of lilacs heavy on the air, I am instantly transported to those sun-filled days with my sweet, smart grandma. “ |
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Above: Hare in the Briar, oil on panel, 11x14”, $650 Right: Lamb with Daisies, 8x10”, oil on panel, 8x10”, $495 |
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Don’t underestimate the power of flowers. If any of these works speak to you speak to us.
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On another note, a huge thank you to everyone who came to our extra lively wine cellar pop-up last month. We could not open those bottles of wine fast enough! |
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Follow all our frantic activities @3walls. Whitney, Bevin and Macon
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