Thoughts on Process and Progress - a Blog


The Kept Flowers Series : Corolla Set

The Corolla Set, is the second set in the series, in the series are small works. These are 5" x 5" in size and media is watercolor. As studies of the subject they are less about composition and more about color and media. There are six works in this series.

 

With this post I will add a bit of a conversation as an artist's statement of sorts.

 

The lady asked…why do you draw the dried flowers?…they’re old, have lost their freshness, their scent…and should be discarded.

 The artist replied...”Because…these dried flowers are more special, more significant than a fresh flower. Anyone can give a fresh flower or receive a fresh flower. But dried flowers are kept…for the sentiment…for the romance and indeed for the heart. Special they are…preserved and protected by their keeper. Delicate they are…symbols of love and affection…perhaps even desire. In this way they are not unlike one’s beloved...and the love shared. One often seeks to protect…preserve…love. This is difficult…perhaps as difficult is it is to keep such a flower for a long time. This is not to say that such is futile…for indeed the more treasured the love…the more delicate the flower.

 She smiled politely. “Yes but love fades.”

 The artist smiled. “Perhaps it has for you…perhaps it does for us all.”

 (pause)

 Then he asked…“Do you have any dried flowers you have kept?


The Kept Flowers Series : Bridal Set

I wish to introduce a series I have been working on for several years now. I call it the "Kept Flowers" series. The subjects of these drawings are the collection of roses I have given my wife over the years. They have been dried and thus "kept." While these works are sentimental in subject matter they are also formal explorations of composition, color and technique.

 The first "set," Which I will refer to as the Bridal Set, is primarily drawings employing contour line and cross - hatching. Compositionally these works vary. The first is a rendering of a single rose that is placed centrally on the page. I do not have a satisfactory image of this drawing to post here. I will try to rectify that. The media of the first set of drawings is graphite and color pencil on paper. The images above are from that series and the lower image is a detail of a larger drawing from this first set of the "Kept Flowers" series.


Powered by MosaicGlobe.