Flowers, Gardening and Painting: 100 Flowers # 11

Flowers, gardening and painting…Where has my passion for painting flowers come from? I grew up in Arizona where flowers were maybe not as big, beautiful and bright as they are in Oregon. After having children, I became more interested in nurturing things. Whether it be a child, flowers, or creativity; I knew it was important to nurture. In Scottsdale, Arizona the weather was often hot—too hot to weed a garden. I did not like taking care of the yard when I was young. It seemed like a chore, using too much water—a precious resource. Now that I have lived in a more temperate climate in Southern Oregon, with more rain, I feel more inclined to the use of water, the climate and nurturing flowers. Painting flowers has been a life long study of nature beginning in the Arizona dessert with California Poppies on the Four Peaks of Scottsdale, AZ and concluding with the flowers native to Southern Oregon. Most of these images come from my memory. Whether it be the Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona, Oahu, Hawaii or Portland, Oregon; it is all committed to memory. Somewhere from my mind, come the images in these floral paintings. Favorite flowers of mine include multi-petaled flowers including Hydrangeas, Gerber Daisies, Peonies, Austin Roses, Poppies, Ranunculuses and more.Look at my paintings and guess what flowers may have influenced my paintings. Sometimes I don't even know…Above is the next one, what kind of flower is this? Prismacolor pencil on paper.Follow my blog and come along on my new creative adventure.XOXO,Holly