I’m excited to share the news that Coneflowers II has been accepted into the International Association of Papermakers and Artists (IAPMA) Biennale exhibition to be held this year in Hagen, Germany. Artists from over 52 countries will be participating, including yours truly (that would be me). This is my first international exhibition. I couldn’t be more excited.
The idea for the paintings started with my reading of Virginia Wolfe’s short story, Kew Gardens, which features a snail crawling slowly along the flowers as the hurried world of humans strolls by barely noticing its glacier-paced journey.
I thought of Virginia Wolfe’s story as I rode my bike past the very tiny island garden at the end of my street.
The island garden, while much smaller and far less grand than Kew Gardens, features coneflowers, Shasta daisies, Russian sage, and black-eyed Susans. To my delight, when I reviewed the photographs looking for the one that would inspire my painting, I noticed a bumblebee buzzing among the flowers. Not quite Virginia Wolfe’s snail, but this tiny creature now plays a prominent role in my painting.
Scroll down to see the painting, and see if you can find the lead character; a bumblebee floating among the coneflowers.
Coneflowers II (2021). 40 x 40 x 4 inches. Mixed media painting (cotton, abaca, acrylic paint, pigment) mounted on Gator Board. Private collection.
Order a print of the painting.
BZZZZ, here ‘s the bee, hidden amoungst the flowers.
