desiccated orchid I, 10/2013, 15x22, transparent watercolour on 140lb t.h. Saunders watercolour paper.

painting still lifes is my favorite way to work. objects stay still so you can control the arrangement and the light. as objects of contemplation, they can also stimulate patterns of thought and memories.

 

in this image, i have contrasted a transparent geometric form with a leaf and a few dried orchid blossoms. things that are alive or have lived can relate narratives and produce ongoing processes. minerals create aggregates. the contrast adds a universal dimension to enjoy in the picture.

i have never managed to keep orchids alive. when the blooms finally fell, i did notice that they dried nicely without disintegrating at all and that the shrivelled forms were more elegantly contoured. i even enjoyed the dried leaves and root systems.