MOTHER / FLOWER

This series takes its title from a moment I had with my mother when she encouraged me to paint flowers. I resisted and told her no. It wasn’t until I found myself on vacation in Singapore that my perspective on the matter changed. My eyes became overwhelmed by many different species of flowers in unique, rare environments. It ignited a fire in me, and flowers started to appear in my drawings. I noticed their vibrancy and uniqueness, and they offered me a place to explore visually, contemplate, and grow. I wanted to bring back these souvenirs into my art.

Each painting starts with basic mark-making on paper. My figures slowly emerge from these marks. When I approach the canvas, I leave room for spontaneity and treat the painting as its own entity. The colour choices are made intuitively, and one at a time. I don’t need much to go on once I start painting, and I like letting things unfold freely while painting. When complete, I stand back and contemplate what it means. To me, it’s akin to reviewing a diary entry and gaining a new perspective on my feelings, both then and now.

Flowers remind me that the true elixir of life is found when we pay attention to the beauty in our surroundings and live in the present.