blooming balcony

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  reblooming landscapes | 2014 - 2016

Since moving to the southern Alps three summers ago, I began wandering around our new woodland home, overwhelmed with the vibrancy and variety of flowers growing here. Some were common varieties I recognized from home; others were entirely new creatures I wanted to learn more about. As I was reminded of medieval Europeans depicting these plants in their imagery, I longed to paint them myself, learning more about each, becoming friends even. Soon afterwards, I began the series of botanical portraits depicting blossoms emerging from old, tired landscape paintings. These blossoms beckoned to be planted in oil-painted permanence, as their portraits capture their beauty long after their petals wither away. These wildflowers were painted over a series of days, so each days' painting traces these intricate flowers through all their stages of blossoming, while watching their interactions with pollinators and capturing neighboring creatures. Entranced painting this series of succulent blooming landscapes, I am remembering the most luscious moments of seasonal beauty here. While painting outside, capturing these portraits in their natural surroundings, the finished paintings become visual reminders of the invisible qualities of being there: the weather and the scents, with babbling brooks and birdsong forming the soundtrack.