The Bountiful Observations Series {end of year review}
As we are near the end of the year, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorite paintings from this series.
This composition embraces my personal philosophy on art and beauty, in that even ordinary things have the potential of being remarkable. Here are common dandelions, weeds to many people, however as flowers taken away from someone’s perfect lawn, I think they are just beautiful.
The flower was the third bloom an amaryllis bulb gave me last winter, and I viewed it as a special gift. Like an unexpected gift from a good friend. Just because.
On the day that I completed this painting it was a bright and beautiful day, sunny and clear after a week of heavy overcast. Everything came together, and I just remember feeling the energy and excitement of it and how a sense of the promise that spring was not that far off was in the air...
This was the first painting completed after two very stressful weeks as a mother caring for my daughter, Naomi. We came out of this time fine, better informed and able to adapt for her needs. When I returned to the easel, I was feeling at such peace with the world that this painting just seemed to flow out of me.
Like a symphony flows over you, with all the senses energized, but at the same time you are quiet, listening, and have a heightened sense of awareness.
The quality of light was going through the seasonal change from summer to autumn when this painting was completed, as were the plants in the garden. It was my goal with this composition to highlight these seasonal changes. I was captivated by the fleeting golden reflections on the glass, the ripening of the crab apples from green to red, and a hydrangea deepening in color due to the temperatures dropping during the nights.
I find it so amazing that there are so many subtle details that begin to announce the changing of the seasons. Often overlooked in the busy-ness of the day, however when a moment is taken to just notice, I always feel so much more refreshed and full of life.
This series was my attempt to document the year, gathering flowers, plants, and observed impressions of the seasons and distilling these thoughts into the creative process of art making. I was inspired to embark on a project that would improve my sense of observation while also keeping me accountable to paint on a weekly basis while adjusting to the new demands of being a mother.
It was such a rewarding process, that I have decided to continue working on this series into the next year. Adapting the format some to account for another layer of exploration. So where this year every painting of the series was 8 x 8 inches square, in 2013 I am going to allow a bit more freedom of size. I am thinking to work within the sizes: 8" x 8", 8” x 10”, 10” x 12”, and 12” x 12”, varying the format depending on what type of composition I am inspired to capture.
Having another year to explore the impressions of how bountiful the seasons are will hopefully enable the opportunities to incorporate some of the blooms and details that went out of season before I had a chance to paint them this year. I am particularly looking forward to the spring time!
As this series continues, please signup to receive email updates so you do not miss a new painting.
Thanks for visiting and reading,
Liz