We all know Poppy paintings from the work of Georgia OíKeeffe.
Those luscious, sensual petals bending gently before our eyes.
The petals of the Poppy are like delicate tissue paper,
crinkled and translucent, allowing the light through,
yet changing the color of the light so delightfully as it passes.
Poppies are a fun subject to play with,
and thatís what artists do.
They play with color, with line, with form,
just to have fun, and Poppies are fun.
Many of the Poppies I paint, I grew myself
in my back yard in Kansas City.
I would photograph them in the early morning light
as they cast their purple shadows against our stucco walls.
Poppy Shadows
Shadows are another thing I love to paint.
If you look close enough, your eyes will
begin to pick out the various colors within a shadow.
Artists are fortunate to be able to see so much
more around them than most people.
It comes from years of training and careful observation.
Look, closely and carefully, long enough
and you too will see the magic.