Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Florals

© Robin Edmundson, 'Black-eyed Susans', watercolor, 14 x 10 inches.
Framed to 22 x 18 inches.  $375

A while back I did a painting of a large floral bouquet in teals and pinks.  I hadn't set out to do a floral.  I thought I sucked at florals.  In fact, I knew I sucked at florals. 

I couldn't do florals.   I paint barns.  I don't paint flowers.

And yet there I was painting a floral - a really big one at that.  And you know what?  People love that painting.

It's hanging at my current show in Marshall, Illinois and it's one of the first pieces that people walk over to see and comment on.

So. 

Clearly I can do florals.  But I still feel like I can't do florals.   So I tried another floral.  That's it up there.

It actually looks like flowers.  And I actually feel pretty pleased looking at it.  So I'm taking this as a sign that I need to practice more florals.  Figure some things out.  Let myself play with colors and shapes and refine what I already know about composition and shadows.  [And flowers, because I'm an avid gardener and actually know quite a lot about flowers]

These paintings force me to relax.  To do things slowly.  Very very slowly.   To stop and step back and consider.  To take 3 or 4 days to work through a dozen layers, adding a bit at a time.  To take my time.  To trust my eye. 

That feels really good. 





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