florals

Suzanne Poursine Massion

   Flowers are so irresistible. Many of my landscape paintings have a hint of the wild flowers that spring up overnight in Midwestern oak savannahs; Trillium, Solomon’s Seal, May Apple, Wild Ginger, and Rue Anemone. The flowering prairies I paint show Yellow Cone Flower, Bee Balm, Purple Joe Pye Weed, and Elm-leaved Goldenrod. However; the paintings on this page depict flowers in much closer detail. I want you to see the petals and green stems, the delicate colors, flower heads turned in all directions. These blooms are often part of a casual still life; seemingly carelessly arranged, perhaps inviting you to sit and enjoy an afternoon tea. One painting might draw the viewer into a brilliant cluster of luscious pale blossoms bursting forth from a dark green shrub. Another painting reveals the scattering of Black Eyed Susans in a tall grass prairie.

    My floral subjects can be found in any Midwestern cultivated garden or growing wild by the road side. I’ve painted flowers cut and tamed in a vase of water. I’ve painted them bursting forth from leaves or grass, untouched, left alone to bloom on their own. Regardless of the setting, my goal is to catch that wonderful moment when the light is just right, before petals fall. Their delicate beauty always calls my name.