Recently I was giving a presentation to several high school art classes. I found myself explaining what my large flower paintings are really about in this way; I am not so interested in flowers as my subject, but as a vehicle for shapes, positive and negative. I showed this painting, which is 5 feet by 4 feet and dominates a wall.
It is not about the lilies, it is about this; those lovely shapes and colors that the tangle of the subject matter allows me to play with.
All those fine negative spaces to balance and contrast.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbcb3hbKQ6GeoKTmCzwjgCmp8EHbuRaENZ2UKlrF-O_1wuVxnIhQ9-6XouqyKYRa_GgfsHnkaRZhdPN0ofkR9C5ri9b25yHynj8pcFS1FiIarAzGV_rSR7DqlDCigLspLa-d_JkDMn-c/s400/4painting-blog10.jpg)
And the smallest interplay of ends and pieces.
I find that the most fascinating part of my work.