Time to Paint Something Different

Small Vase with Flowers
5 x 7 in/12.7 x 17.8 cm
Oil on Canvas Panel
Copyright Byrne Smith 2018

I rarely, as in hardly ever, paint flowers, although I did paint a sunflower just last month. Before that, I couldn't tell you when I last painted a flower. It's not that I dislike florals, I just don't have a relationship with them.

However, the other day as I was looking through some pins that Pinterest thinks "you may like," I saw several boards that contained nothing but floral paintings--all kinds of flowers. I discovered I was drawn to many of the small still life-like paintings.

They were mostly smaller than 8 x 10 in/20.3 x 25.4 cm and mostly oil, acrylic, or pastel. Many were rendered in a rather impressionistic way, which I like. I got interested in the ways these painters, who seem to paint only flowers, portrayed the lighting and backgrounds, and the brushwork on the petals, leaves, and containers, if any.

One of the few flower paintings I have done is today's image. However, I now have an interest in further studying the methods of these painters and will see where it takes me.