Questions:
1. What is it that most inspires you to create artworks of bouquets?
The beauty of flowers, most of which for me is their colors, shapes and interactions with each other.
2. Is your selection of materials and the artistic process different when creating these artworks? If so, in what ways?
No. I do use several approaches to painting all subjects that I pursue. A flower sometimes becomes a person to me. And sometimes, a person looks like a flower or an animal to me. So I have no strick rules.
3. Do you create artworks of bouquets of flowers from life? Memory? Imagination? And, do you arrange a bouquet and select the flowers and surroundings with the intent to paint it?
Most of the time all three (memory, imagination and life), and all three on the same painting. I have several vases of fresh and silk flowers in my studio and home. I usually start my painting from life, and then memory, of a leaf, for example, will come in to the painting. Then imagination, especially for composition and color. Lastly, all three (life, memory and imagination) work simultaneously, until I feel that the painting is complete. Oh, and I also use my intellect and rationale. That is, if a painting is not working for me, I will stand back from it for a week or so and analyze it. And, foreinstance, add purples to bring out the yellows. Once it starts working I go back to my gut and use mostly memories and imagination.
4. Is there anything symbolic for you about this choice of subject?
I read a lot about flowers and I also grow them in my garden. I choose the flowers by my attraction to them. Often, I am really fascinated with the flower and I will study where its name came from, its known origin, mythology, medicinal properties, and how-to care for it. I do this while I am working on the painting, so it does effect my painting process.
5. Do you create these works in all seasons - how are the changing seasons and the passage of time represented?
I paint flowers in all seasons. My flowers are usually store-bought, so the seasons don’t effect my choice of flowers directly. However, emotionally, I do fill my house with more flowers in the late-fall and winter months. My paintings are flowers idealized, decorative and/or symbolic abstract representations of flowers, so they do not represent a direct correlation to the “passage of time”.
6. What do you hope your viewers will experience when they view your artworks of bouquets?
Something beautiful and pleasing to look at.
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| Wild Flowers::14x11"::Oil::Joan Winter |
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