You don't have to think terribly hard to figure out that the
painting genre that has all of these characteristics in common is floral
painting. It is a practice that has inspired artists to create beautiful,
graceful paintings for centuries, but it is so much more than that.
Classic: So many artists become artists because they are
inspired by historic artworks they've seen in museums or art history books. It
pretty much goes without saying that a significant percentage of those works would
be floral paintings. Every artistic movement has contributed to the genre, from
the Renaissance to Impressionism and beyond. This does contemporary artists a
two-fold favor: it provides hundreds of inspiring works to learn from, and it puts
one in good company knowing we are extending this tradition into the 21st
century.
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| Flowers by Charles Demuth, watercolor painting, 1916, 9 x 11. |
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Commercial: Painting flowers is a smart idea if you want to
develop a saleable body of work. It doesn't mean that you have to be
conventional or stifle your own style in your presentation of how to paint
flowers. Instead, look around you and acknowledge that people from so many
walks of life are drawn to floral paintings. Individuals seek them out for
their homes and workplaces. Collectors of floral paintings abound. Professional
decorators often seek out floral paintings when designing residential and
corporate spaces like hotel chains. Why shouldn't it be your flower oil
painting that they are looking at?
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| Brass Samovar by CW Mundy, oil on linen, 30 x 24, 2007. |
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Art World Constant: Look anywhere artwork is sold and nine
times out of ten you'll find a floral painting. From yard
sales, flea markets, to Sotheby's and Christie's, the offerings that continue
to always rise to the top are floral paintings or those works with floral aspects to them. Certainly, this isn't exclusive
to flower paintings and them alone. But it reinforces to me that there is
something constantly attractive and appealing about floral paintings.
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| Little Red Riding Hood by Daniel Egneus, pen and ink drawing, 2011. |
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But most of all, I would think most artists are drawn to
painting flowers because it is a pleasing endeavor. You can explore all the
essentials of art knowing that you will showcase work that brings people joy to
behold. If you are interested in furthering your experience in the genre, The Art of Painting Flowers in Oil DVD
is a three-hour instructional DVD that takes you through the entire painting process. Instructor and artists Claudia Seymour delivers an
incredibly knowledgeable and informative workshop that does the genre justice.
Enjoy!
