Pictures at an Exhibition

My Garden of Abundance solo exhibition ran for 3 months at Aum Shanti Cafe & Gallery 439 Nepean Highway Frankston and it was an enjoyable experience for all involved.  People came from all over to view the collection and enjoyed the warm hospitality on offer. I've been asked about the stories behind some of the paintings so let me take you on brief tour of some of the pieces that were in the exhibition.

In the front window we have Tangerine Tulips - imagine the view an ant would get looking into a beautiful field of tulips on a sunny blue sky day.

A pair of pears all green and glowing

Ruby red pears glistening in the sun with strong shadows

Ficus macrophylla depicts a magnificent Moreton Bay Fig Tree - inviting you to delve into the nooks and crannies between the roots and see the interesting shapes and dappled sunlight.

A rose with warm caramel tones and burgundy shadows.

This velvety red rose sold on opening night - well who can resist a red rose - so romantic!

Oh a sprig of Almond Blossom signalling the start of Spring - both delicate and elegant those lovely little petals which will soon shower down like confetti onto the ground.

In Summer Idyll the hydrangeas embrace the mood of a lazy summer day with the cool blue tones and the petals floating on the dark purple background like Lilos floating on a languid pool.

The Dancing Lady Iris emerges from a deep coloured background of a variety of green leaves and the ruffled petals have movement like the elegant hands of a dancer.

Inside Attraction was painted for Kingston Arts Centre's 24 hour Art Blitz 2012 - the theme was "Inside" and the bee is certainly attracted to these tulips which were growing at Tesselaar's Tulip Farm.

Looking into the petals of this peony photographed by my sister in Russia you will see numerous heart shapes hence the name Heart Peony.

This small study of a water lily was also painted from a photo taken by my sister at the Ballarat Botanic Gardens. 

Rococo Blooms inspired by the luscious floral paintings of Europe in the 1700's with warm reds and cool blues to create depth.

Some voluptuous quinces painted in oils on a special visit to the Barossa.

A lively study of plums painted in thick oil paint and it is so much fun to paint a plastic bag.

Lilies in a vase painted from life in oils - there's lots of buds so these lilies will bloom for ages.

 

I grew so fond of this cabbage whilst painting it that I didn't want to eat it.  This is painted in the thick oil impasto style.

Just imagine finding yourself in an exquisite garden in the moonlight.  This Moonlit Magnolia evokes a mood of mystique.

The pin up flower for this exhibition - this frilly red hibiscus begs to be plucked and slipped behind your ear on tropical island escape.

Henri's Roses painted on a natural linen canvas and inspired by the work of Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) - this piece is all about texture.

There are two fig paintings - one fig is shy hiding behind the leaf

and the other is bold with strong purple and burgundy tones.