Art of Awareness

 “The shapes and designs of some of the 30,000 naturally occurring species of orchids often resemble other things, in this case, tulips and chicks. 

This piece entices the viewer to explore beyond the floral- where light radiates through translucent emerald color creating a jeweled organic tapestry.As I sketched this species, I was drawn to the unusual shapes of the large fragrant flowers, more like a tulip than an orchid. Flowing leaves etched with sweeping lines provided an elegant backdrop to showcase flowers whose interior parts resemble little chicks. 

I designed the composition to entice the viewer to travel beyond the flower’s soothing embrace, to a plethora of textured botanical impressions embedded in the painting’s abstract emerald background. Here the viewer’s imagination is called into play, as texture and light radiating through translucent color embrace the psyche.

This painting is inspired by Anguloa clowesii, a large terrestrial sometimes epiphytic orchid species, found at elevations of 1800 to 2500 meters on the western slopes of the Andes, in Columbia and Venezuela. It is commonly called the Cradle Orchid, because its large, yellow flowers have a rocking lip, which is enclosed completely by the sepals and petals as in a tulip. This gives the plant its other common name, the Tulip Orchid.”