Way back in 2012 I had been gifted with a very large canvas and had begun working in a space that had a large blank wall. It was one of the larger canvases I’ve worked on and it was a bit of a rush job, never really finished properly. I had intended to include a quote on it that never eventuated as I changed my mind while working but the result of that decision was a large uneventful foreground area in a vivid green. The work was colourful and filled a gap and brightened a space but I was never really satisfied with it.
Recently the painting found its way back into my house. Having no space to store it, it really needed to be on a wall but the colours were not harmonious in my living space and I wasn’t happy with the unfinished state of it.
The concept behind it was the unique individuals that go to make up the entirety of a group. The painting served its purpose at the time but now what to do with it?
Initially I just thought I would tone down the flowers by painting in some detail, but then I found some serviettes/paper napkins in my stash, cut them up and arranged them on one of the flowers. I was so pleased with the result and enjoyed the process so much that soon all the flowers had been dealt with in a similar way.
Once I had started with the flowers, other ideas to develop the work flowed in and I hit that spot of lost time and engrossed absorption in the act of creating something. I glued, painted, photocopied, colored, stamped and stenciled until ‘the secret garden’ appeared.
I came across this quote from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett which seemed to fit nicely. Finally the quote that had been missing for twelve years found it’s place.
‘ and the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles. ‘
Frances Hodgson Burnett
This was unexpectedly fun to work on. I had no idea where I was going with this piece, it just grew. It fills a wall with texture, light reflection and quirky, whimsical interest. It’s still a pretty vibrant addition to our living space.
Smokey Gnome Creative 