Daffodils, Nature's Simple Beauties

Courier of Spring and Sunshine

Springtime is heralded by the early blooming daffodils, or as they are also called-Jonquils. These are the first flowers to bloom in spring, often before winter has had it's last hoorah. Like today, March 3rd, it is snowing, but I've already painted several daffodils that bloomed earlier in the week. These are hardy flowers able to withstand winds, light nows, frost, and pounding sunshine. Their time is brief, which reminds us that our time on this earth is also brief, but the joy they bring is long lasting, especially when memorialized in oil.

My Favorite Flower

Have I told you this is my favorite flower? I can still remember clumps of these bright yellow flowers popping up all over my grandparents yard growing up. I have loved these simple, beautiful flowers as long as I can remember. I remember picking just one and giving it to my grandmother, whom we called Mimmie. She would put it in a jelly jar with water on her windowsill above her kitchen sink. She would comment on how beautiful the flower was every time I was in the kitchen and she was at the sink, which was quite often. She made me feel like I had given her a dozen roses. 

Beautiful, yet Challenging to Paint

While they have a simple beauty, they remain a challenge to paint. It is difficult to achieve a three-dimensional likeness of them on a two-dimensional surface such as an aluminum composite panel. Despite the challenge, their beauty calls me like a siren's song. I love how my studio is filled with their delicate scent as I paint them. This is the one time of year that my studio doesn't smell overwhelmingly like oxidizing linseed oil! It is something I look forward to every year. Their time with us is fleeting, but it makes them ever more cherished.

One of the challenges, is that one must almost paint them Alla Prima (in one sitting) because they wilt pretty quickly when placed in water and placed in the gaze of a strong light. I've found that they are their best for only about 12-24 hours. 

In painting them for three years now, I have found that Alla Prima does indeed work best for these fleeting beauties. It is more important to capture the feeling of their beauty than their exactness. In taking the time to capture them exactly, the daffodils life and true beauty is sacrificed. It is better to paint looser and letting your feelings guide your strokes. 

Originally posted here. 

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