Completed painting. Oil on aluminum panel, unframed,10″ x 8″
Back in December I got an email from my contact at Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine saying that Peter Trippi, the editor-in-chief, wondered if I had a painting I could submit for the upcoming March/April Collector’s Issue Floral Portfolio section. I did not.
The Call
There’s something intoxicating to me, though, about The Call. The call to enter, the call to compete, the siren call of the art contest. The first one I remember was back in the 60s when I was maybe 5 years old. I took great pains to draw Felix the Cat for a mail-in contest. Sadly, I found later that it never made it to the mailbox and I was devastated, enraged as only a small child can be. I still remember how very badly I wanted to enter that contest. Many years, and many contests later, I couldn’t pass this opportunity up.
In the dead of winter, though, there were no flowers in bloom in Michigan. I thought about going to the florist, but I couldn’t stomach hothouse flowers just then. It seemed too saccharine.
Looking for Reference
I set out on a walk in the local county park and I saw the dried husks of wildflowers lining the trail that I’d seen in full bloom during the spring and summer. At their peak, bright yellows, pinks, and purples dazzled the eye in the bright sunlight. Now, I stopped to more closely look at the soft yellows and browns of the tiny dried petals on thin, brittle stems in the watery winter light. I had that feeling in my gut, where I know, this is it. This will tell a story worth telling, of the beauty of all seasons in life.
Don’t tell the rangers, but I snapped a small branch off and carefully pocketed the tiny treasure. Back in the studio, I got to work.
Let it Snow
During the time I was painting, fat flakes of snow drifted down outside. I was struck by the feeling of calm it gave me and decided to try adding that to the painting as a crowning touch. I wanted to talk about the grace and beauty of our winter season, and the calm that it can bring to life.
The finished painting did indeed make it into the magazine. While it is a bit of a thrill to go to the store, find the magazine and flip through to see my work in print, it’s the call, the ideation, the creation, that gives me the most pleasure.
Your Call
What calls to you?
While you think about that, you can watch a sped-up look at the beginning of the painting of Wildflowers in Winter. Click the image below; you’ll be taken to my website to watch the video.
Yours,
Margret
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