Inside “In the Company of Flowers”

In January, I was invited by the George Marshall Store Gallery in Southern Maine to be part of a summer exhibit called Cross-Pollination—an exhibition exploring the connection between gardening and art. It felt like a perfect fit, and the concept became the inspiration for my spring collection

As I began working toward the show, the paintings flowed naturally. The concept came easily. I love flowers—growing them, buying them, arranging them. There are always vases (sometimes overflowing and a little over the top) in every room of my house. I also love the vessels that hold them. It was not hard to get inspired. When developing the composition for another painting, I would sometime just think, “What else would I do with flowers?” and then paint.

So much of this collection is me. Its parts of my home, my plants, flowers, and my spots. It feels like a glimpse into my days just being “In the Company of Flowers” and all the satisfaction that comes with that simple pleasure.

This collection is filled with rich colors and textures, elaborate interiors and soft whimsical florals. It’s balanced with both neutral tones and vibrant tones. It has relaxed, quiet ladies enjoying their harvesting and arranging, and admiring their finished work.

Below, I’ve highlighted a handful of the pieces and the inspiration behind each one.

In the Company of Flowers

Named after the collection as she sits with her glass of wine among her massive vase of flowers. This painting is very vibrant and bold and as you step back it starts to lose its form and becomes an exciting display of shape and color.

Fruits of the Garden

This painting was inspired by a photo from Mimi Thorisson’s book “A Kitchen in France”. This painting was a huge part of my collection emotionally, getting me out of a stalled place. It is rich in colors and texture and on the walls draws you in. It is a place I want to be, with the darling wallpaper, giant fireplace, armloads of garden harvest, sharing a glass of something with a friend.

The Orange Harvest

This painting is among my favorites. Her rich tones of greenish blue, browns, pops of pink and orange against the contrast of black and white is very appealing to me. Her face and body language is reminiscent of Matisse figures. I love painting orange branches with their combination of leggy, sharp and round shapes. They go with everything and I want that massive vase of orange branches displayed in my house.

The Arrangement

This was the very first painting I did in this entire collection. It is very soft and neutral. With beautiful greens, creams, and terracotta tones. This painting is very light on the layers with most sections being the first pass and bits of raw canvas showing throughout. You can even see some of the sketch work through the painting showing off the entire process. The background feels very southern to me with the big pots of palms (just like my moms) and the contrast of her grand ethereal centerpiece on her table. The flowers are soft and whimsical and draw you in.

Chair with Geraniums

This painting was 100% drawn from life of a vignette in my house. It was inspired by a painting I have always loved by Portland, Maine artist Margaret Ryan. Margaret died a few years ago but was a wonderful quality artist, teacher and friend. One of my favorite paintings of hers was of a chair right in her entry hanging above her basement studio stairs in a massive gilded frame. I still think about that painting constantly and this version of mine is a nod to her and all her wonderful art she left behind.

Otomi and Flowers

Named for the Otomi table cloth and armloads of flowers. A few years ago I bought an Otomi tablecloth in Mexico and I use it constantly. It comes out for every festive holiday along with armloads of flowers so this lady is very familiar to me. I love the contrast of the soft red headed women against the bold pattern clashing, stripes and Otomi

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Though I love painting feminine figures and soft florals and these will always remain a theme of mine, it will be a bit before I release a collection so filled with it. I have begun mapping on my next two collections (exciting) drawing away from this theme into some newer territory. So, if ladies and florals are your favorite head over and see whats remaining of this collection!