I am utterly obsessed with negative space! My latest painting is an acrylic on canvas that I created to specifically remind me of those special places I have lived. The U.K, South Africa, and the good ol’ US of A! I first thought about the gardens I took care of in each of those places. My first house in Kansas had a garden we called the “Garden of Weedn” which had sunflowers that would grow up to 10 feet tall on super strong yet spindly looking stalks. The house in Surrey was over 100 years old and had a long, narrow garden hedged with the most prolific and deeply blue-colored hydrangeas I have ever seen. Outside of Johannesburg, our South Africa residence had two Strelitzia plants (aka - Bird o Paradise) flanking the pool with great pops of vibrant orange.
The negative space surrounds the flowers enveloping those spaces in silky layers of draped fabric. The soft deep orange folds bend and flow to reveal the outlines of the USA, UK, and South Africa.
“Flora Munda” is full of fun and whimsy It was a great way to play with negative space. Each time I walk past it I react differently to it. So intricate with how our mind’s eye perceives and processes art. Zoom in and let this maximalistic-style piece swoop you in and envelop you in rich detail.