Art of Awareness

 “In my view, the aesthetics of art and music are seamlessly intertwined; both deal with the appreciation of beauty through compositions that affect our emotions and intellect. By interweaving elements of color, texture, rhythm, and harmony, both disciplines engage the senses to incite our passions. 

Orchids exude grace, elegance, and perfection of form as do great classical music and art compositions. 

This painting was the second of two paintings commissioned by and designed for the United States Botanic Garden’s “Orchid Symphony” exhibition in Washington DC in 2014, which emphasizes the classical music theme and water fountains. It was used as a companion piece in the exhibition, for the “Michelle Obama Orchid” painting.

Brassolaeliacattleya 'Ports of Paradise', is a playfully colorful orchid showing the best of multi-generic hybridizing. One parent in this orchid’s background, Brassavola digbyana, is the national flower of Honduras and is recognized by its large, fringed lip, reminiscent of a frilly skirt. 

In the painting, the "Ports of Paradise Orchid" is portrayed as a portrait accentuating its most striking attribute, the dancing fringed lip and its capacity for attraction.”