I've been invited to contribute to an art compilation book, focusing on flowers as a theme. The book required that I provided some words on '
why I'm inspired by flowers'. Now I do like flowers, but the subject is a difficult one. In truth I'm pretty passionate about the importance of the 'Still life' subject as whole (perhaps a post for another time?), but I see the flower as only part of that equation.
Within still life it is the combination of objects that excited me. The grouping of forms - geometric structure of tables and bowls, vases etc. mixed with organic geometry from fruits; and finally the organic sprawl and drama of a bouquet of flowers. The combination of these elements creates the drama! But having said that, I needed to focus on only the flowers for this book. So here, for your reading pleasure, are my thoughts on the subject, (with only a little bending of the truth and embellishment)...
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Why Flowers?
The everyday
subjects of a still life are all around us in our day-to-day existence. They
are unseen and forgotten. ‘Still life’ painting asks us to stop and consider
these objects, to appreciate the beauty within them, to no longer take them for
granted. ‘Still life’ demands our attention for these objects, and no object is
as important and dramatic within a ‘still life’ composition than the flower.
To me flowers
are an intense distillation of the world around us. Every color imaginable can
be found within their petals, leaves, and thorns. Their complex organic
geometry a wonder to behold - soft curves endlessly turning into each other, or
perhaps strong hard angles and vertical lines, the one overlapping the next.
The variety and complexity or each flower is always new fresh and exciting. At
any given moment they can show us a range of visual information or emotions - elegance,
beauty, simplicity, complexity, life and of course death.
A single flower
can yield untold beauty and nuance. It is the job of the artist to present his
message and that of the subject within each painting. Just like a camera, a
painting captures a single moment in time, a snapshot in the short life of a
flower. But what moment to catch, what message to hold for all time? A newly
opened flower freshly cut from a spring garden, or perhaps the last hours of
it’s life, stems bent, leaves spotted and yellowed, petals fallen to the
ground? It is this endless journey of exploration, study and transformation,
that present continual inspiration to me.
My work is
strongly rooted in the post-impressionist movement. Many link ‘Fauvism’
and artists such as Gauguin, Cezanne, and Matisse to my work. However on
closer examination elements of late expressionism and modernist abstraction can
be witnessed. For example, my palettes are often bolder, the compositions more
contemporary, and color planes presented flatter than the traditional
post-impressionists. It’s been said there’s nothing ‘still’ about my ‘still
lifes’; each shows movement and energy within the application of brush strokes
and colors, nowhere do I feel this is shown better than in the tangled beauty
of the flowers.
When approaching
one of my ‘Still life’ paintings I always begin with the flowers. From there I
find sympathetic drapes, cloths, vases, fruit and other elements that will work
with the plant or flower bouquet. It begins with the flowers and the idea grows
from there. Color is all important, - the process of translating the color and
mood of the flowers within the environment, finding the voice and theme within
the painting.
I want my
paintings to translate what I see before me, but with my own feelings and
ideas. I strive to create a singularly unique vision on the world. A projection
of my feelings, and imagination on the subject, providing a distinctive voice
that is unlike anything else. I wish to elevate the subject, take the everyday
and empower it with the drama and greatness it deserves.
