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Friday, May 27, 2011

Celebration of Spring

In early May 2011, my attraction to early spring growth in the garden and my newly found medium of encaustic (from the Greek word, enkostikos literally burning into using a hot wax process) led me to investigate and research early spring garden flowers in my garden. 
I also grew concerned about structuring smaller co-ordinated images to support a somewhat larger panel 12” x 18”. I wanted to create delicate small visual stories that would support the focal central panel.
 Of course, as the series of images of cultivated bulb growing flowering plants progressed, I looked to the edifying documentation on Canadian wild flowering plants that Catherine Parr Traill wrote and illustrated in 1848: Wildflowers of Canada (lithographed by Agnes Fitzgibbon). So I carefully noted correct structure, line and form as I paid due respect to early botanical illustrations that had gone before me. Here is where the attentiveness to realism so ended.
My colour scheme you will note is analogous, that is colours selected side by sde on the colour wheel, always hovering to the central flower as a starting point to local colour. Following that colour selection all the components of the encaustic painting needed to play a secondary role to the flower while the selection of colour needed to reflect the value of its original local partner. The analogous colour scheme literally radiates, i.e. comes from the central floral colour to achieve the effect of ‘celebration’ to the edge of the image.
In many respects I come from a tradition of working in fibre arts from very skilled women artisans, skilled in the handling of embroidery, crewel work, crochet, applique and quilting. Floral subject matter was always a dominant theme in their work and it is to my maternal grandmother, Lily Cote that I dedicate this series as I so often felt her watchful hand as I formed petals and leaves to her gentle approval. 












I also offer these images to the many visitors of the Dandelion Festival 2011 who will visit North Grenville and celebrate the advent of spring on the weekend of May 27-29. These works and others will be viewed in the Old Fire Hall on Rueben Street, Old Town Kemptville with fellow artists from ArtScene, Spencerville. Come celebrate with us and enjoy and edify the lowly Dandelion!

Tulips Series 1: Central Panel; 12"x 18"; $177. plus HST; 3 6" x 6" panels $26.54 each plus HST
Periwinkle 1: Central Panel; 12" x 18"; $177. plus HST;  3 6" x 6" panels $26.54 each plus HST
Tulip 2: Central Panel; 12" x 18"; $177. plus HST; 2 8" x 10" panels $35.39 each plus HST
Daffodils 2: Central Panel; 12" x 18"; $177. plus HST; 2 8" x 10" panels $35.39 each plus HST
Daffodils 1: Central Panel;  12" x 18"; $177. plus HST; 2 10 x 12 panels $88.49 each plus HST
Edifying the Lowly: 3 12" x 18"; $177. each plus HST