The Brave Enough Florals

The current series is on display at the jackson county Public library in the rotunda.
sylva, north carolina.
August - September, 2022

This series is an exhibition in floral and vase studies. Each piece features an impasto-based, acrylic floral arrangement with a mixed media, collage vase. The mixed media collage paper is hand created over several months and incorporates a variety of media including paint, marker, crayon, oil-based pens, play-doh, stickers, and pens and pencils. Notes, reminders, and tokens about life are a focal point of some of the collage pieces and symbolize the artist’s real-time experiences and philosophical musings. Humor definitely plays a role. 

The florals in this series are first developed by creating layers of impasto paint on each canvas to create a dynamic perspective in both near and far perspectives. The intent is to add depth and dimension to each piece from any distance. Florals are then sketched onto the canvas and painted in acrylic layers. Intense colors and hues are utilized to create a sense of energy and excitement. The floral colors and arrangements are painted in the abstract impressionism form, and meant to be a humble and an imperfect, human representation of the natural world. Each floral is featured in an abstract setting, using bold color blocking to complement the flowers and vase. 

Each vase in the series is collaged in one creative sitting, where a free form pattern emerges as a variety of paper pieces are selected. Pieces are selected, torn, cut, and snipped without plan or design and applied to the vase. This process produces unplanned, eccentric color and textured patterns; drawing a viewer in to explore the depths of each selected piece of paper and the story it may tell. The outcome is a vase that holds together disparate pieces that form a new whole. A play on the negative space of the vase with the paper, and the variation of visual lines, further engages a viewer in a sense of exploration. A viewer is encouraged to look closely and get lost in the details.