Paintings of Flowers: Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May
It begins in childhood when toddlers – moving closer to the ground than the rest of us – pick flowers in a garden or park.
Perhaps it’s their pleasing colors, or the fragrant scents, or the likelihood that Mom will be pleased with the resulting bouquet.
Whatever the reason, humans seem to be hardwired to enjoy – even cherish – flowers, so it’s no surprise that visual artists have for centuries expressed their own admiration in diverse ways.
On offer here is a profusion of blooms created in different media, sometimes seen on their own, other times set into architectural or environmental contexts.
Most of these images exult in nature’s beauty, while others are rather symbolist in their layered meanings; there are even a few reminding us that flowers’ beauty, like life itself, does not endure forever.
Enjoy this bouquet, and be sure to appreciate the “real” flowers in our nearest garden or park, too.
1. KATHY ANDERSON (b. 1945), “Hollyhocks and New Dawn Roses,” 2017, oil on canvas, 30 x 20 in., available from the artist2. JUDY CROWE (b. 1953), “China and Primroses,” 2014, oil on linen panel, 12 x 12 in., private collection3. INNA CHERNEYKINA (b. 1971), “Summer Colors,” 2016, oil on 12 x 12 in., oil on panel, Portola Art Gallery, Menlo Park, California4. THOMAS DARNELL (b. 1958), “Poppies,” 2010, oil on linen, 67 x 59 in., collection of Matt Wright and Melanie Wombwell, London5. KURT ANDERSON (b. 1958), “Roses in a Greek Vase,” 2014, oil on canvas, 36 x 24 in., private collection6. HEATHER LYNN GIBSON (b. 1970), “Buying Hydrangeas,” 2018, oil on linen, 12 x 12 in., collection of the artist7. DAVID HETTINGER (b. 1946), “A Still-Life for Adrienne,” 2017, oil on linen, 20 x 24 in., Rose Renée Fine Art8. JANE JONES (b. 1953), “Calla Lily Trompe l’Oeil I,” 2016, oil on board, 12 1/4 x 12 3/4 in., Sugarman-Peterson Gallery, Santa Fe9. MARYBETH K ARAUS (b. 1962) “Bountiful Cascade,” 2017, Oil on linen, 60 x 32 in. Private collection10. JIM McVICKER (b. 1951), “White Amaryllis,” 2017, oil on linen, 30 x 24 in., J.M. Stringer Gallery, Vero Beach, FL11. KATIE MUSOLFF (b. 1982), “Dismantled,” 2017, watercolor on paper, 12 x 10 in., private collection12. LINDA NEARON (b. 1942), “Burst of Beauty,” 2014, oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in., private collection13. GELENA PAVLENKO (b. 1969), “Rays, Irises,” 2015, oil on canvas, 20 x 28 in., Lotton Gallery, Chicago14. CAMILLE PRZEWODEK (b. 1947) “Flowers at Sunset,” 2012, Oil on panel, 8 x 10 in., Private collection (Related: How to Paint Like Monet, by Camille Przewodek)15. SARA JANE REYNOLDS (b. 1948), “Fallen Petals,” 2017, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in., Reinert Fine Art, Charleston16. ELIZABETH ROBBINS (b. 1962) “Indian Summer,” 2017, oil on linen, 24 x 28 in., Private collection17. JAMES ANDREW SMITH (b. 1968), “The Reason for Silence,” 2018, oil on panel, 12 x 9 in., Joseph Gierek Fine Art, Tulsa
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