Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Flower Islands


Foxglove
Original oil painting  18x14"
by Susan Roux

I made the last of my deliveries yesterday. Three sets of art to three different galleries. The day was picture perfect for a coastal delivery. The three hour drive to Blue Hill takes me through winding country roads eventually connecting north on Route 1. For those of you not familiar with this route, it begins in Florida and follows the coast all the way up to Maine. It's a lovely drive during off season, but can be a traffic nightmare at tourist time. Quaint shops with interesting names and creative signs stimulate my artistic juices. Even without stopping, reading the names and seeing original looking store fronts sends my mind dreaming. Interspersed are glimpses of the ocean always with islands jutting out and keeping the seascape interesting. I didn't think I'd be doing much plein air this year, but yesterday's drive awoke the desire.


I stopped at a roadside garden shop. Color was overflowing! Did you know I have Monet syndrome? Not only do I love painting flowers, I keep creating more and more gardens around the house! I've been mixing annuals with perennials and the changing color show throughout the summer is the perfect haven for an artist to relax in. My burst of work is in the spring and with summer-like weather, planting is earlier than usual. There's a great rush of anticipation as I design my gardens. Like adding color to a canvas, I imagine which plants will be blooming together. It's like painting blindly. As the shapes grow, shadows are created and with it possibilities for wonderful compositions!


I bought a few colorful annuals to place in unusual planters. I've been designing a new outdoor seating area with a great view of sunset. All my flower beds have curves, most being ameba shaped. I don't like straight edges in my landscape. I'm finding the negative space (lawn) as interesting and important as the flower beds themselves. When I think of the various shapes I've established, I'm reminded of all the islands making Maine's waterfront so spectacular. As you drive by, one island seems to be moving in front of another. It makes those rock hard planters covered in evergreens come to life! And so it is with my island flower beds. As you walk around, the flowers from one bed seem to move in front of another. I've always been attracted to that illusion of motion. I find it interesting that without consciously thinking about it, it's how I've designed my surroundings. 


Everything is a composition. Colors, shadows and splashes of light. Whether painting or planting the journey is similar and the passion is present.

Do you have Monet syndrome too? Have you created flower islands? As an artist, where do you go to unwind?



Note: Foxglove was a little corner garden on Deer Isle. I painted it with one of my classes. It was included in the body of work I delivered to Blue Hill Bay Gallery. If you come to Maine this summer, it's a beautiful artsy coastal town to visit, only 30 minutes south of Bar Harbor. Do stop in and say hi to Peter.


13 comments:

  1. Yesterday was a lovely day to take a trip down the coast, wasn't it? And delivering paintings makes it even better. BTW, Foxglove is a lovely painting!

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  2. Une très jolie peinture que tu m'avais cachée ma chère Susan !!! je suis contente de la découvrir. Elle est magnifique et comme tu le sais déjà, j'aime lorsque tu peins ces beaux parterre de fleurs... Alors que tu les jardines aussi, cela va sans dire!...
    Gros bisous et je suis heureuse que tu aies eu une superbe journée.

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  3. Good jobs, well resolved, with much ease and colorful.
    Greetings.

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  4. This piece instantly reminded me of some of Nancy Medina's Coronado Island pieces. Nothing prettier than white picket fences and big glorious flowers. Your coastal drive sounds like something I would have loved to do. Reminds me of Highway 101 on the West Coast.

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  5. How I wish to be able to paint flowers...show me a face and I get excited!!! Your flowers are amazing as always, Susan. The white fence makes these beauties pop right out. Congratulations on this piece.

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  6. Monet Syndrome, indeed! And I hope there is no cure but to paint, paint and pant some more! Your painting is lovely and I wish you great success with the paintings in all your galleries - how wonderful is that!

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  7. I love the post and fence in your picture--possibly because I live architectural designs and so it appeals to me. So glad your summer is starting off so good!

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  8. so incredibly colorful, serene and just beautiful! i feel such peace and joy from your work.

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  9. The painting is lovely and your post inspirational as always! Susan, only you can romanticize highway driving making us wish we were cruising along with you! Best of luck with the galleries and continue to enjoy and paint your beautiful gardens!

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  10. Susan, we're on the road for the next couple of weeks but I just have to share with you how much I enjoy your blog. You've brought back memories to me.

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  11. I think I have monet syndrom...but don't tell my guy. I've got him thinking all the flower beds are to keep him from having to mow grass! LOL!

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  12. Great blog... I love how you write. This painting is beautiful in the true sense of the word. A very true piece of impressionism.

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  13. Your oils have such a mystical quality Susan, almost like the pastel medium. very nice.
    Rae

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