Hollyhocks from Disney

On my birthday trip to Disney this year, I took some great pictures of flowers. This is from one of hollyhocks at the Irish Pavilion at Epcot.

It is fairly large 18 X 24 and has a three dimensional quality. I used Golden's light bodied Molding paste to create the petals and the stamens.

Georgia O'Keeffe said "A flower is relatively small. Everyone has many associations with a flower-the idea of flowers. You put out your hand to touch the flower-lean forward to smell it-maybe touch it with your lips almost without thinking -or give it to someone to please them. Still-in a way-nobody sees a flower-really-it is so small-we haven't time -and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. If I could paint the flower exactly as I see it no one would see what I see because I would paint it small like the flower is small. So I said to myself-I'll paint what I see-what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking time to look at it-I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers. -Georgia O'Keeffe, 1976

Since taking Georgia O'Keeffe as my muse, I have changed the style and thought process behind my painting. I have allowed myself to use my digital photos and to enhance them using Picasa software program that I love. Reading about other artists they also use their own photos in various ways. It is really liberating coming from the old school of no, no photos. But in studying Georgia O'Keeffe it becomes quite apparent that she was very influenced by photography, especially since her husband was a renowned photographer. It is said that she destroyed the photos that she used for her painting.

Well, it is 2008 and digital is an everyday occurrence, most have a digital camera, and now it is up to the artist to create a new dimension in art. Not the easiest thing to do.