Often my latest painting is my favorite and this couldn’t be more true than with this painting. I adore these lilies that look like downward pointing tiger lilies, but they actually are called Turks Cap lilies. I may not be able to sell this one as I am very attached to it. I think it has a softness and a ‘fairy tale’ feel to it that reminds me of some of Jean O’Neill’s illustrations in a Fairy Tale book that my father used to read to me when I was a child.
Dance of the Lilies acrylic painting by Flora Doehler 16″ x 16″
Everything around us and from our past influences our work and our creativity. I certainly was not thinking about fairy tales when I painted this!
Please hop over to my art blog and see the painting tutorial piece to find out how I created this soft effect.
Illustration by Jean O’Neill in Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, c.1947.
So where was I? Oh yes! I was on my way to Paint the Town in Annapolis Royal to paint for 2 solid days for a fundraiser that benefits the artists and the Annapolis Regional Community Arts Council. I benefit in unexpected ways. such as:
meeting other painters and painting alongside them
sharing thoughts and ideas about painting
meeting people who like my painting
showing passers-by how I paint
stepping outside my comfort zone of isolation in my garden
watching people bid on my paintings
painting in public places with the company of others around me
learning about other art materials from artists
feeling part of a group that is working towards a common goal
practicing focusing while surrounded by distractions
paintings by Flora Doehler, 2013
That was a week ago and since then I’ve been trying to ‘relax’ which included:
a filling at the dentist in Digby who has a million dollar view of the ocean
harvesting and freezing lots of beans from the garden
freezing local blueberries
visiting oxen at our little country fair in Bear River
visits from Larry’s Ontario cousins
2 live events including a fabulous performance by local ‘seniors’ called Dancing in the Third Act. Here is a clip of the show. It was only after reading in the media and from the director that the dance is performed by ‘seniors’, some who are personal friends, that it dawned on us that we too are seniors. No one told us before. THANKS Randy Glynn (the director who ALSO is a senior). I kind of liked my ignorant state. 😉
This dance was professionally choreographed and touched on the theme of human aging – including death. It was very moving, tragic and funny.
Also, I’ve been getting up early (for me) and going on serious walks (for me) with my friend Pat. It’s all part of a strategy to make this Third Act as good as I can. These are some photos from the route we’ve been walking. How hard can this be?
Yoked oxen at the Digby Exhibition this week competing in the pulls.
