Orchids Revisited

Here we have a "before and after" that really was transformed. I recently found the photo I took of this amazing orchid at the Fall Denver Orchid Society Orchid Show, where this terrestrial orchid, Phaius Tankeville, won the blue ribbon. The grower kindly let me bring this huge plant home to paint after the show, which is on the left. This was painted in 2003. That was when I didn't think a background was necessary, for a myriad of reasons. I have since changed my mind. I didn't add all that was in the background of the photo but I do think the background adds so much to the painting. At any rate, I had fun reworking this piece.

Here is a painting I probably should not be posting. I did the original during my orchid days, when I called them portraits and this plant is called Winterwonderland. I really liked this painting at the time - just goes to show how much we can grow - I was aiming for some abstraction and playing with colors, rather unsuccessfully I should add, and doing a painting in a short amount of time. Forcing myself out of all my comfort zones. Without having any photo reference, I recently reworked this painting keeping the underlying structure as is. The original furniture item is an old oak shelf unit I had gotten when Emily Griffith Opportunity School. It used it to hold art supplies. It has long since gone to the trash, so again, I had to use my knowledge of oak. I also wanted it to look like the light was coming in from the window you can't see on the right. These old paintings remind me how far I have come, but also that the learning is lifelong. Reworking these old gems helps to loosen me up when I feel I am getting tight. It is so freeing when you know you can't ruin it.