Blooms

I never wanted to paint flowers. It seemed too prosaic of a subject matter to paint. And yet, when I began contemplating my new body of work earlier this year, spring was coming and it made me think of my homeland. If I were to paint flowers, I asked myself, what would I paint? The answer was tulips. They were the first blooms appearing on flower market during my childhood years in Ukraine. It felt right to start there.

'Blooms' was the first artwork I painted. It is notable to my practice because it inspired a plethora of new experiments which I find instrumental to one's artistic growth. It was painted on raw cotton canvas and is a fruition of several rounds of layering. I first painted wet on dry to obtain clear lines while dropping different color pigments into the water pools. Once dried, I worked with dry brushes to add movement with gestural marks, then onto the wet-on-wet technique resulting in watercolor-like textures, and finished using small precision brushes.

A little dot of yellow was completely incidental half way through the painting’s completion. I found its position interesting and worked around it thereafter.

This painting is also characterized by empty spaces, which is unusual as I typically like the whole canvas covered with paint. This, too, was experimental  - I simply followed my curiosity.

What I find most interesting about this artwork is how the outcome made me reconsider my earlier position on painting florals. Had I not followed my curiosity, I would not have painted 'Blooms'.

It occurred to me that asking the same questions at different stages of your practice, or life for that matter, may lead to unexpected answers. Being open to the unexpected and allowing curiosity to guide you might be what leads to authenticity.

After all, what could be more mundane than painting flowers? And yet, what could be more beautiful?