For a week, I stood in the backyard studying the form and color of lilacs. Hidden among the trees, I tested out Cobalt Violet, Cobalt Violet Deep, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue, Raw and Burnt Umber and Rose Red Deep.
Time was running out as the temperatures climbed. Soon, the lilac blooms would fade. It was either now or wait another year.
I cleared the studio, set up the still life stand, took a deep breath, and filled a bucket with freshly snipped lilacs. Then, I arranged them in a large vase with a deep violet velvet backdrop. For the next three days, I painted hour after hour each day, creating the forms of the lilacs while breathing in their soft perfume.
Now available. Frame included.
See this in person
This painting is part of the 3rd Annual Expressions Art Show show being held July 25-August 4 at the Carnegie Center for Creativity in Fort Collins, CO. Open Wed-Sat 12-6.
What do you think?