Iris, Peonies, and Poppies

Iris, Peonies, and Poppies

Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas 42"x 96"

Finished, at last! When a friend purchased my painting of a tulip garden hanging in our kitchen, my Mother remarked that would be OK only if I promised to do another floral to hang there.

I began this canvas soon thereafter and it did hang above our kitchen table for many years while she was living. I chose to make it large so she could see the colors. She had lost most of her vision to Macular Degeneration. I chose to use the flowers she had grown through the years because we both loved them so.

After she died in 2004, I started to rework it some, but had not yet completed the rework. I decided now, while the same flowers were in bloom, would be a good time to re-complete it. Today was the day!!!

Below are two detail photos of it.

Detail #1 of "Iris, Peonies, and Poppies" Detail #2 of "Iris, Peonies, and Poppies"

 

On the day I began this painting, I brought my painting materials, the canvas, and a big easel (the painting is 8 feet long....) out into the garden to make the preliminary placement of flowers and colors from the border of Peonies, Iris, and poppies in the garden. Joan, one of our wonderful neighbors at that time, came dashing over to see what I was doing. We had a great chat that day and she enjoyed watching the progress of the painting.

When I completed it, I brought it into the kitchen where my Mother who was partially blind could enjoy the colors. It still hangs here in the kitchen even though Mother is no longer here.

This week, it will take a trip to the studio to be on view when guests come on Thursday.