They Are Perseverance.

…You’re the life principle, more or less, so get going on a little optimism around here.

Margaret Atwood, February

Guess what I saw outside last week – flowers! Along the river shore trail, winter aconite and early crocuses adorned the landscape. Despite the lingering cold and snow, my snowdrops came up, unfurling faithfully as they have done for over two decades every February. I never planted them, so I think of my snowdrops as a gift from Mother Nature. They remind me that deep in the earth, in the darkness, there is a quickening that happens this time of year. These flowers make my soul happy. They are perseverance. They are hope.

They are perseverance. They are hope.

Abstracted florals have been a part of work for a while, playing a “best supporting actress” role in my paintings, as seen in the detail shots below. Dahlias, sunflowers, roses, hellebores, and toad lilies are some of my favorite flowers for their colors and shapes. I am also inspired by wildflowers like mayapples. If you have ever seen the umbrella-like leaves of a mayapple, you’ll know why I love this plant, because clearly it came from fairyland.

Although I use flowers as a decorative element in my paintings, I also research the meanings of flowers, leaving a hidden message in the piece. For example, dahlias symbolize positive change and hellebores symbolize tranquility and peace – things I certainly like to cultivate in my crazy life!

Flowers and other natural forms will play an important role in my new collection, What The Wind Whispers. I am excited to share this work with you, so for the latest updates, please follow along on Instagram, and look for the collection to drop midsummer.