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| Photo Credit: Mark A. Miller |
| Mark’s used this photo of flowers from his own garden to bring his painting to life. |
The old adage is that a writer should write about what he or she knows. To heed that advice, I’ve decided to start concentrating on botanical subjects for my paintings. Trees and shrubs regularly appeared in the artwork I had created since I was a teenager, but those images were usually a small part of the overall landscape, or they served as accessories rather than the main focus of my art. My previous still life paintings and portraits rarely included any plants. (One exception was a series of breadfruit leaves and fruit I painted while in the Peace Corps.) But now I plan to shine a bright light on specific plants and place my interpretation on the canvas.
We’re fortunate here in Columbus, OH, to have a wonderful cultural arts center housed in a historic armory downtown. There are several classes an aspiring artist can take, where the studio time can be spent painting by yourself, socializing and feeding off fellow artist’s critiques, or asking for feedback from the instructor when (and only when) you feel you need it. My teacher lets us be and doesn’t hover unless someone asks for help. (And his dog is a fun addition to the studio.) But you don’t need to take an art course to give painting a try. Anyone can do it – and it’s a fun pastime for when Mother Nature won’t let you get out in the garden. (Hey, if we can’t grow the plants, let’s try to paint ’em!) My first completed piece (titled “Bulb Play”) was a field of grape hyacinth bulbs, and I referred to some plant catalog photos for models. The end result was boring, and in a rush of inspiration I added three orange and yellow variegated tulips as a surreal juxtaposition to the retreating blue and purple floral cones of the grape hyacinths. It’s a much more interesting piece now, in my opinion. But this painting doesn’t elicit any personal connection for me. (My paintings mean much more to me if I knew – or grew – the plants featured in the artwork.)
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