My newest collection of paintings, “Slow Summer,” releases tomorrow with Well + Wonder!
These paintings have been brewing for a while, as I’ve stored up inspiration from the last several seasons and take new inspiration from my own garden. I’m excited to share with you some more details about the inspiration and process below!
Inspiration from garden as well as from walks and travels
I’ve always loved flowers - and as I have mentioned before, painting them has given me a new appreciation for the color and shape of each petal and leaf. However, I’ve never been much of a gardener, mostly appreciating the flowers during my walks in the neighborhood and visits to local gardens.
What has changed this year is that I’ve become much more interested in gardening!
While our garden is mostly vegetables, it has been absolutely fascinating watching nature unfold day by day. As spring hurtles past, I have found myself ecstatic at finding each small budding flower and so, so eager to see the final ripened fruits. I have even taken to a different type of painting in the mornings, taking my small brush and walking around the garden, hand pollinating veggies!
It’s given me a new appreciation for nature and it’s beautiful organic persistence. It’s also given me a new appreciation for the seasons, as time continues to pass and with it bringing both waxing and waning growth.
Works in progress in my studio.
I have taken all this inspiration and tried to translate it onto canvas.
My process is a bit contradictory, both organic as well as extremely methodical. The composition is often unplanned and will unfold on the canvas somewhat randomly, with me adding in flowers and leaves until I am happy with how the final composition looks. Then, I go in layer after layer to refine each piece and add additional textural elements.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about both the inspiration and process of this collection!
It's always a contradiction in me to want to both speed up time and slow it down, so I can watch everything unfold but also see the end product. I titled this collection “Slow Summer” to remind me to enjoy each moment of this season of growth.
The final paintings will be available at Well and Wonder, tomorrow, June 13, at 10AM. I’m so glad to share the inspiration and process with you and hope you enjoyed hearing and seeing about it!