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| Reference photo |
As I mentioned the other day, I went to see what's happening at Green Spring Gardens Park on Tuesday afternoon in Alexandria, VA. It was beautiful, so I went back on Thursday morning. As spring is unfolding in a fast forward mode this year, I am trying to keep up. The picture above was taken during my second visit. I was both excited and nervous at the prospect of painting saucer magnolias.
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| "Whiff of Spring" (watercolor, 20" x 14") click here to buy |
Why nervous? Because I haven't painted them before in oil, although, as you can see above, I have tackled these flowers in watercolor in the past. "Whiff of Spring" is dear to me, not just because it had received an award in a show. It is subtle, geometric, and reminds me of the Italian painter Giorgio Morandi, who obsessively painted bottles all his life. It was a class exercise with Deborah Ellis, who wanted her students to paint white paintings.
Having said all of that, I must also admit that "Whiff of Spring" has the pretentious, contrived look! It is the kind of pompous paintings one may see in a museum. (My apologies to dear Deborah, who is one of my favorite art teachers.) These days, I would rather paint flowers in a garden, basking in the sun. Honestly, which do you prefer, "Whiff of Spring" or "Magnolia Season"?
