Poppy #3

Is there any better way to demonstrate a total balance between strength and vulnerability than to observe the Oriental Poppy? It’s flowers are so delicate and beautiful, while it’s leaves are rough and jagged. It’s a perfect metaphor for a person who is well-rounded, in touch with their emotions, and tenacious. We should all strive to be like the Poppy!

Most of my artwork is based on the flowers I grow in my yard. These Poppies are no exception! I grow the flowers and photograph them (or sometimes hire a friend to help with photos!) and use them as inspiration for my artwork. This piece, “Poppy #3” was created in my signature style of collage-painting. I prepare a wood panel by cutting, sanding and staining it. This time, I used a light blue stain for the sky. For the background, I manipulated magazine pages in a way that lifts the ink off of the page and swirls it around. This makes an abstract but very natural-looking background in a rich array of natural brown, olive, and yellow/green tones. The type reads “Oriental Poppy” followed by its latin name “Papaver Orientale.”

The original is 27” x 15” and comes wired and ready to hang, mounted on an off-black frame backer using glue and nails (overall size 29.5” x 17.5”). The nails (black carpet tacks, technically) are exposed, adding to the hand-crafted look of the piece. This work took about 40 hours to create (not including the gardening). I hope you enjoy the flowers as much as I do!