Some people talk to their plants. I imagine stories my painted flowers might tell if they could speak. But I also know that during this summer of forest fires, all flowers might be longing to see clear skies.
Thank you to Mya for suggesting the title for this painting, The Flowers Remembered the Sky. (part of the "Not Your Granny's Flowers" collection).
At one time, flowers in this vase swayed beneath the blue sky, and drank in the rain, and held the sun’s warmth on their petals. Now their stems sit in water, looking out at faces that pass by in the quiet room.
The Limelight Hydrangeas remember the scent of the old barn that supported their stems. Meanwhile, lovely cream roses had only begun to bloom when they were cut for this bouquet. Wild ferns in the nearby forest floor reached for the sky beyond the clusters of field daisies and purple asters. They were added to this bouquet for their graceful curves. From the bucket in the flower shop, the eucalyptus were chosen for their clean scent. Standing in the deep blue vase for so long they had the vaguest memories of the sky.
Fragments of remembered sky keep flowers alive.
Fragments of memory return to remind the flowers of the smell of rain before the storm, the refreshing breeze carrying scents from far away, the way they swayed when wind passed through their stalks.
But now, there is only silence. They surrendered all that made them wild including the immense sky above them.
This is what it is like to live with a longing, a regret, a grief for what was, and cannot be anymore.
The details of The Flowers Remembered the Sky.
Hydrangeas, roses, anemones, ranunculus, and lily are painted in acrylics on 24 x 24 gallery wrapped canvas. Limited palette of Cobalt Blue, Prussian Blue, Cadmium Yellow Dark, Sap Green, Titanium White, Burnt Umber, Quinacridone Magenta, Turquoise.
Painted in impressionistic style, the bouquet evokes nostalgia. Dominant colours: blue and green.
Other florals include Not Your Granny's Flowers, (the paintings that started this collection) Sketchbook Flowers are an Antidote, A Crown of Flowers for Spring, Country Garden Flowers, Long Lasting Painted Flowers, Petals of Nostalgia to name but a few.
Which flowers are your favourite? Some of my favourites include Gardenia, Lilacs, Roses, but I love all flowers depending on the setting.
Happy August!
Louise
Don't be fooled by the smock - I still manage to get my clothes dirty!
