But Does It Match The Sofa?

Francis Bacon wrote “God Almighty first planted a garden…,” and bringing the garden inside is why I paint flowers and nature.  I am an enthusiastic oil painter with a zeal for the faithful rendering of intricate details and I’m particularly interested in the nooks, crannies, folds and pleats of flowers.  Omitting the background permits time, energy, and effort to be invested in capturing the beauty of the subject.  With minimalistic backgrounds my previous works, while beautiful and elegant, have a highly formal aspect.  By introducing the element of nostalgic printed fabric as the background in this new series, the formality is washed away and replaced with a sense of familiarity, warmth, and comfort.  Subtle playful interactions between fabric and painted foreground elicit a lovely sense of whimsy.  Gone are the works suited for a grand home, museum, or institute and what has blossomed out of this is a series of paintings that don’t care if they match the sofa or are troubled by the toys on the floor or dishes in the sink.  These works push back against merely decorating a home or filling the empty space on the wall.  Rather they embrace the opportunity to reside in domestic felicity, contributing to the happiness, contentment, and harmony within the home.