Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Soul of a Flower


It’s always a good day when you feel you’ve accomplished something creatively. What I find difficult, though, is working away for hours but having little to show for it—at least in a tangible sense. That’s certainly been the case with today, but I don’t feel disappointed. I think I’m finally beginning to understand that there has to be an in-working before there’s an out-working. And furthermore, the process keeps reinventing itself in different ways.
While I was playing in Photoshop tonight with these photos John took this afternoon, I started thinking about how I amazed I am when our flowers actually bloom every spring. For maybe 51 weeks of the year they’re getting ready for this. Then they do their thing, peak and start all over again. The funny thing is, the same plant seems to produce blooms with a different personality each year. Like this pink poppy for instance. This year you can see the carpals and stamens through the petals, and the effect is like looking at a tiny soul cradled inside each bloom. I can see now why people become addicted to painting flowers and I know I could stay up all night doing this. (If you’re working in Photoshop, I would recommend experimenting with the Dry Brush, Palette Knife, Paint Daubs and Water Paper filters).

6 comments:

Godelieve said...

Beautiful photo's! As soon as buds are showing up in the garden, I get impatient.

nancy said...

beautiful shots! everyday there is a miracle happening in my garden! i love it, take the time to enjoy.

Anonymous said...

i like how you compared your creative process of 'accomplishment and creativity' or lack thereof... with the flower's 51 weeks of preparation for blooming for one day, one peak week!?
and how it's all worthwhile...
the preparation and time of waiting... and then the season for production...and how unique and beautiful that whole process and 'blooming' is!

AND SOMETIMES someone even notices!?!?!? and might catch a glimpse of that perfect bloom, or snap a photo...or just be awed by the color...or the fragrance...

and it does seem mundane to photograph all the ubiquitous naturey crap that we all do...but there really must be something there that obviously speaks to alot of us!?!??!?

Leslie Jane Moran said...

Lovely, lovely analogy. I was having similar thoughts as I grappled with a new art form and decided that it takes a lot of time for preparation, working things through and then the easy part of assemblage. I wonder if the flowers enjoy their very own process? They must do. As you say, they seem to reinvent themselves with a different personality each year. Lovely.

A bird in the hand said...

Yes, that's why I love painting flowers. I was reminded the other day, while looking at some poppies in a friend's garden, of the time I painted nothing but flowers, and especially poppies... xox

spindelmaker said...

the poppy is magical!