I’ve always loved paintings of gardens.  Especially cottage gardens with their less than manicured plantings. The riot of colors and textures that create a kaleidoscope of hues don’t always make sense to the casual observer but somehow thrill to the senses.

This is what I try to capture in these small-scale abstract paintings of gardens. I think of Impressionist paintings where the garden gets lost in a dizzying arrayment of lively brush strokes. The closer one gets to the painting, the more abstract it becomes.

Many women artists painted the gardens in their own backyards, often due to social constraints that discouraged them from frequenting public spaces. I like to think I am honoring these artists by carrying on the tradition of painting cottage gardens, sometimes from my own garden, which I tend to throughout the growing season.