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Sunday, April 2, 2017

Painting Flowers is the test...

Daisy Tumble   watercolor   7.5 x 9.5
...the ultimate test, for me, in the understanding of bending, twirling and complex forms.  Over the years, I have come to discover what I DO NOT like in floral works:  vases of all kinds (they steal the power); symmetry; perfection; and wall to wall paint.  Therefore, I have come to prefer vignettes, spontaneity, pathways of light (mostly) and pathways of dark, kept to a minimum.  While I am a lover of neutrals, I have to work hard to keep them at bay, so that the mood of the work remains sensual and light...a tall order.  I like complete petals as well as some that remain nondescript.  I like a bit of a hard line somewhere in the work that opposes the organic nature of the blooms.  I am happy with this one.  While I did come in for a second pass and some definition, I do think that I stopped in time.  I never enjoy it when the watercolor police come knocking at my door for having taken a work too far into reality and, as a result, too far removed from imagination.