Gala

Original Sold

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Another painting inspired by the gardens at Filoli… last spring (2016)  I had a half a day on a Wednesday free and I took a ride down to Woodside – all on my own.  I love people; I adore the people in my life – family, friends, students. It’s great to share exceptional places with my beloveds – doing so amplifies my joy and makes wonderful memories.  But sometimes it is just as sweet to have the time to myself.  I think this is so particularly when it’s part of my creative life.  I can follow my own whims and rhythm without having to tend to anyone else’s.

Spring in this garden gives me the physical experience of the word “breathtaking.”  It’s one gasp after the next – both the extent and expanse of all that is in bloom. It was just past early spring and the garden had really gotten going:  rhododendrons, camellias, crabapples, hyacinth, magnolia trees, wisteria – and pots and pots of tulips. 

I was there at the peak of the first bloom of the ulips – the flowers I went in hopes of seeing – somehow I had not yet painted them.
These parrot tulips took the cake!  I went back to them several times just to make sure I got enough pictures of them to work from.  Pink and orange are a favorite color combination and you can’t beat these particular tulip flowers for complexity – just looking at them is exciting.

I envisioned yet another square painting.  To create enough going on to warrant a large 29”x29” square I needed to paste together several images. I made a high quality 15”x15” print of the resulting image on my giclee paper and carried it around in my art sleeve for months before starting on it.  It had to wait for spring to come back around. Many of those who saw the photo print exclaimed at it’s aliveness and color – and encouraged me to paint it – soon!

When I was nearly done with it Paulette in our Thursday group called it a “carnival” which gave me an idea for the name.  This painting does seem to be a kind of party of color and shape, but carnival wasn’t quite it.  A quick look at the synonyms and “Gala” jumped out at me. It’s more elegant and it also has an older meaning to do with fancy dress. Welcome to this gala of color and light!

April 2017 – 29″x29″ – Watercolor on paper