Mid-Summer Hydrangeas, 14 x 18 inches

Mid-Summer Hydrangeas

This painting was the first composition of the commission.

And I wanted to emphasize the blue of the flowers by surrounding it with warm tones and lighter values.

This painting is also a testament to my life since I moved to the mid-Atlantic region. The background is a remnant of the sandy-hued silk taffeta my wedding dress was made up from (yes, I never get rid of fabric, I never know when that scrap or not-so-small piece will come in handy), the tablecloth may have been the first one purchased after I became enthralled with still life, the transferware bowl is a recent purchase, and the hydrangeas came from my garden.

In a way, this painting documents my life in so many little ways, even the Rainer cherries are meaningful to me, as they remind me of my high school and undergraduate years in Washington State, and going out to cherry orchards and picking buckets of Rainer cherries. YUM!

This incorporating of meaningful and beautiful objects into a composition is what makes the still-life genre so special to me. In a painting, I can present a soothing scene that may appeal to many people, while also sharing pieces of my life.

...................................................................... Framed Painting: SOLD {14″ x 18″ (35.6 x 45.7 cm) – oil on linen} {20″ x 24″ (50.8 x 61 cm) with frame} ......................................................................

Here are some work-in-progress photos of this painting.

{the first pass - maybe at the end of the 2nd day... }

I had to work fast to capture the flowers in their peak.  As a whole I do not work from photograph, so it is important to get the flowers down first and leave the parts that will not age with time to later times.

{a few days later}

See how the upper hydrangeas had already wilted, losing some of their volume and shape. Time is very important when working with flowers...

{almost finished}

{finished}