flower power
People have been painting florals for centuries. And although many artists were limited with their colour choices (due to certain dyes being too expensive or just not available), they managed to capture a symbol of beauty and a story that unfolds the truth only to those who know the code of its secretive language.
And if you are a fan of Dan Brown's books, you should read about the symbolism of flowers in art. From the gentle eroticism of Hellenistic Greece, through the duality of love and death of Madonna's lilies and roses, to a more sinister turn towards reminding us of a fleeting time and approaching the end of life, to scientific discoveries, flowers have got it all.
To mark the celebration of the Queen's Jubilee and the Chelsea Flower Show, I'm sharing three flower paintings closest to my heart.
Born into a family of Falkirk engineers, her beloved father encouraged Blackadder to paint. Then, during WWII., the family moved her to the countryside for safety. Here, her love for florals grew exponentially; she taught herself the names of the wildflowers and pressed them into her album. We can find traces of these two influences throughout her work.
Blackadder won a travel scholarship during a final year at the Edinburgh College of Art and set off to Italy with her soon-to-be-husband, artist John Houston. Their union lasted until he died in 2008.
She was well-known for her refusal to analyse her paintings, apart from a rare comment here and there. Her work goes through sudden shifts but includes her steely intelligence and love for modern (not contemporary!) art.
Dame Blackadder was the first woman to be elected to the Royal and Scottish Royal Academies, achieved damehood in 2003, and was appointed her Majesty's painter and limner (a painter specialising in portraits and miniatures) in Scotland - a sprinkle on top of her accomplishments.
Mackenzie is a Scottish painter based in Golspie. She completed her studies at the Glasgow School of Art, and Jordanhill College of Education, which resulted in a fruitful career as a lecturer of art and design in Lancashire, Inverness and Sutherland.
Leaving the education sector in 2001, she fully submerged herself in creating beautiful art showcased across the UK. Jennifer's work communicates her love of colour, and I couldn't help but fall in love with many of her paintings.
I have been so fortunate to own her work, and my White Flowers in a Red Jug hangs proudly in my living room. The luscious oils and still life of the flowers speak to me. I admire its masterful colours.
French large scale artist Claire Basler brings a certain je-ne-sais-quoi to her paintings. Her art becomes alive in the rooms of an old abandoned chateau, where she now lives with her partner Pierre.
The non-realistic re-creations on her canvases and murals carry French elegance. Although she didn't have any formal training until her late teens, her teacher at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts helped her find her voice as an artist.
Finding inspiration in 17th and 18th century France, and on the chateau's grounds, there is always an abundance of subjects to study. No flower is her favourite, but she admits her fondness for poppies, their "force and fragility, the delicacy of the petals, and the profundity of the heart". Irises are "beautiful but so ephemeral", she says. Peonies are "extraordinary but so hard to paint", and daisies are "always lovely".
To celebrate the Jubilee further, we created a selection of Fiona Matheson Artwear on Instagram.
I hope you will thoroughly enjoy the Jubilee weekend!
Until next time,
Fiona