tulips

It’s the time of year when tulips take over all reason for me. I planned to work on the Open Spaces pieces this morning but my grocery store was running a special on double tulips. Off I went.

The tulip mania that occurred between 1636 and 1637 in Holland makes sense to me. I would have been smack in the middle of it because they are priceless.

Last year during my tulip mania, I purchased Tulips by Jane Easthoe with gorgeous photos by Rachel Warne. The publisher, Gibbs Smith, kindly allowed me to show you some of Rachel’s photos so you can swoon, too. The book photos are better but this is my best attempt to copy them.

I thought for days about how I might capture a tulip’s clarity of color, fragility . . . their ethereal quality, and feathery beauty.

Finally, I stopped thinking, mixed some tulip colors, and started moving. They are more abstract than I expected but they feel like tulip petals to me. They are ink, acrylic and varnish on cotton paper mounted on 6” x 4” cradled board.

I love seeing them together; a little like a bouquet.

The colors and the tulips reminded me how much I love color. There’s more to do on this - but I’ve begun.

I’ve also posted the March Mottainai pieces in my shop. You’ll notice some have tulip colors, like the one at the top of this blog. I’m going to take a break from making the Mottainai Pieces for a while. Spring has taken over.

Wherever you are, wishing you peace in these troubled times.

Warmly,