Why Flowers


Why do I paint flowers?

The last time I went to an international art fair teeming with various artists, I bumped into an artist from another city, who at once identified me as the ‘Floral Artist!’ I was delighted to be put in a niche, as, in the art world, everyone talks about a signature style!. So then came the next question- “ Why flowers?”
This is a question which I am often asked. It is not something I haven’t pondered about before- and fortunately I have the answer and primarily... here is why I paint flowers - It makes me happy!
When I first started painting profusely, I delved into themes which embalmed my reality at that point. I used art as a catharsis to paint my pain and unleash my angst. Then I went through a period where I started doing what should be done- figurative, portraits, landscapes, the works.
I soon realised, that I came back to doing flowers again and again after each theme. Flowers were bright, happy, fresh and most importantly colourful. My life was dull and the flowers I painted were full of colour. My colourless evenings and weekends sprang to life! I used pretty bouquets to enliven the canvas and hence my life. I painted with passionate strokes. Soon, the brush was not enough for my strokes and I graduated to palette knives.
Every time I painted a floral design, with mysterious hues and delightful colours blending into each other, I felt happy and energised. I felt heightened. I felt liberated in the passionate hues I was spreading on the canvas. Soon the flowers started getting sold as people wanted the passionate colours on their walls. What’s more, quite a few people started painting flowers- people who never painted before! It was a glorious feeling. Not only was I painting but was inspiring others to paint! Soon I had so many floral artworks on my albums, I started confusing when I had painted which one and what I had called them.
I have barely left any bouquet alone in the past few years. The florists around where I live know me for someone who buys flowers not only to decorate the room, but to decorate a prospective wall!
I googled and came to know that I was not the only artist who did flowers. They were a few more on the international arena, who delighted as much as I did from spreading colours to bring alive beautiful petals!
Of course the palette knife was only too apt for the thick strokes of paint! Quick too! All you had to do was spread colours, pick them off with a knife, splatter them on the canvas and wipe with a tissue or a rag! Last but not the least was the fact that the very fact that was painting so much was because I was housebound with a growing child, with not too much disposable amount in my hands for outside entertainment.
Paint flowers! They are pretty, smell great and are full of colour

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