TM8443 Perhaps My Place Is with the Lilies 36×44 oil on panel

With my show at Arden Gallery getting closer (March, 2014) I’ve shifted into overdrive trying to finish some large panels that have been in development since fall. Perhaps My Place Is with the Lilies is the most recently finished.  When I started the painting, I thought it would be a moody view toward the lily pond, but as I worked on the panel, the flowers became larger and more important, and the colors and mood brightened. Why? Many reasons. A few sales in late November and December certainly boosted my own mood, and the arrival of winter brought on a need for anything “growing.” My pond is deeply buried under snow and ice, a veritable blank slate. Remembering the lilies from summer, and painting their upbeat profiles, is a wonderful antidote to short days and frigid temperatures.

As for the title, it reflects an answer to some questions I’ve been posing to myself, such as why landscape and where do I belong? Landscape painting (distance, close-up, etc.) is a way to explore and delight in  the world.  At least for me, it is as much a spiritual exploration as a botanical and geographic study. It is a way – (think TAO)  – a way to experience one’s life in the world, and a way to share that experience with others. Enjoy!

TM8443 Perhaps My Place Is with the Lilies – detail from left side of painting with lily peaking out from behind lily pad

TM8443 Perhaps My Place Is wit the Lilies – detail of center bud with its reflection