Why I Paint Flowers

Floral oil paintings

I recently got into discussion with photographer Jason Wickens, who owns Fotoviva in Worcester. Fotoviva produce beautiful pieces of wall art using the work of professional photographers.  We asked Richard Sturdy from Candylion to write an article about our thoughts on the difference between art photography and fine art painting with particular reference to floral work and the rise of AI. Here is the link.

The article has got me thinking more deeply about the consequences of AI whist reaping the benefits of using it for the more mundane technical administrative tasks in the studio. Perhaps, more importantly, it helped me to focus on why I paint flowers. Engaging with a professional photographer who produces stunning images of flowers gave me the occasion to consider this.

Why Flowers?

For me there is no other subject which enables me to explore the whole colour palette. During my three-year artist residency at Spetchley Park Gardens near Worcester I could closely observe the changing seasons through an extraordinary variety of plants. Since moving to Ledbury, Rozanne Delamore at the Ledbury Flower Farm, provides me with a colourful array of plants and flowers.

Identifying the flower’s unique beauty

Painting flowers allows me to spend many hours with a single bloom, observing how the colours shift as the light changes and distilling those observations into one image.

Painting an emotional response

I think of parrot tulips are the sensational theatrical stars of the tulip kingdom. They make their entrance slowly then, as each bloom opens, they perform a graceful pirouette revealing a constantly changing drama of vibrant hues, light and interlocking shapes. These paintings are inspired by the Dutch Golden Age tradition and use the black background to emphasise the drama. I kept the original of Tulip Estella Rijnveld but prints are available.  Rainbow Parrot Tulip is a larger painting and available. .

Painting the seasons

There is a circularity about painting flowers as each comes into season. Writing this from my garden studio in autumn I still have salvias, roses and fushias in full bloom but not for much longer. I try to paint sustainable flowers in season when they are at their best. The circularity of the seasons is highlighted in this painting Spring Flowers Kaleidoscope where the delicate colours of some spring flower heads are reflected in a silver bowl.

Our Ledbury home backs onto the old ‘daffodil line’ which is now the town trail. The daffodil line transported the wild daffodils from the neighbouring Dymock area to be sold in London. The railway line has gone but the daffodils survive. At St Mary’s Church Kempley these wonderful flowers are profuse in season. I am looking forward to painting them next spring. In the meantime my painting Narcissi in a Bristol Blue Vase celebrates some of the older British varieties.

Remembering the occasion

Many flowers were named after the classical gods or are associated with a particular time of life or religious occasion. For instance – Lilies at Easter, Red Roses on Valentine’s Day. Weddings, funerals, anniversaries and birthdays can all be floral occasions. Over the years most of my commissions for paintings have been floral. If you are interested in knowing about how to commission an oil painting please see this page on my website and get in touch. Floral paintings, unlike flowers, are not transient.

Flower paintings as part of the decor of a room

I was impressed with how Jason at Fotoviva used different selection tools to help people choose colours of work to fit into a particular decor. In my Floral shop you will find examples of room mock ups to help you recognise how a painting might fit into a room. One buyer wanted a version of my Red Peony on Gold painting to fit into the decor in her bedroom. As I had kept the original painting, I was happy to oblige.  

I never tire of painting flowers. If you would like a discussion about a commission, a painting or a print please do not hesitate to get in touch.