Painting Flowers Has Power!
I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.
—Claude Monet
I have never met a flower I didn’t like, and flowers are one of my favorite subjects to paint. I have such a deep appreciation for flowers that it feels like a friendship. We humans are drawn to flowers, but for artists there is an even deeper appreciation.You Get a Front Row Seat—and You Can Repeat!
The Importance of Flowers to Artists
The colors and shapes of flowers have endless variety. As an artist, this inspires me and provides me a bountiful source of inspiration. I take photos of flowers at my local botanical garden, on my travels, on my neighborhood walks, and even in my home. I find myself cherishing each flower for its unique character.
Flowers are a reminder to me of the life cycle. When I see a flower bud, it is a joyful sign of life and hope, like when I see a pregnant woman's belly. A flower in its full glory is like looking at a lovely young person. I also marvel at flowers as they fade, and it reminds me that this reflects our own aging. I ask myself whether the flowers get as worked up about fading as we do about wrinkles and aging, and I know the answer is no! It provides some perspective.
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Cultural Significance of Flowers
Flowers are imbued with lots of meaning and symbolism. For example, the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, and images of sunflowers are a way of showing our support for the people of Ukraine. A red rose is an unmistakable symbol of romance and a white lily can symbolize sympathy or the Christian holiday of Easter. Back in the Victorian era, there was a “language of flowers” that many were aware of. Lovers and friends would arrange posies to communicate specific messages using this language.
Flowers are Good for You
Studies have shown that exposure to flowers—in person or in images—gives us a multitude of benefits. Flowers make us feel more cheerful, energetic, and optimistic. Flowers (or their images) can help our minds function better. Is there any wonder that people are drawn to floral art? It’s a healthy, happy choice!
Flowers in My Art Practice
When I paint flowers, I find them a wonderful subject. They are easy to arrange and their colors become the jumping off point for my color scheme selection. Even though I create abstract paintings of flowers, their essence is very much still there, and their colors and delicacy are what "hit" the viewer.
This summer, I had the opportunity to visit the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Joan Mitchell exhibit. I was amazed by Joan Mitchell’s large-scale paintings, in which she used gestural aggressive brushstrokes with vivid color to convey her emotions. I especially enjoyed her paintings of sunflowers. Her sunflower paintings told an emotional story of the sunflower from beginning to end, with large masses of color energy pulling from the white areas of the canvas. What a compelling testament to the power and emotion behind painting flowers!
Members in The Painterly Way (my online abstract painting membership) are focusing on abstract floral painting this month. We’re having a ball with this topic! Abstract florals is the kind of genre that you could dive into for a month, a year, or a lifetime!
Speaking of diving in, I invite you to dive into your abstract painting process this fall with my 6-week course Basic to Brilliant, opening soon. If you’re looking to learn how to elevate your abstract paintings so they spark and sizzle, this is the course for you! Get on the waitlist here.