Tuesday, January 31, 2012

poppies: in art & in the garden

Hanging on in our hallway are bright and colorful pieces of art. Two of my favorites are of the same subject - poppies. The first is a painting I bought at the Madison Art Fair on the Square a few years ago. The colors and subject caught my eye, and this painting - with its happy hues - still delights me every time I pass by.

My dad is an excellent photographer and in his office/studio he has many of his great photos. He being the very generous dad that he is, let me have a photo he took of a poppy. My photo of this photograph doesn't really do the original justice - but it's gorgeous in person. He was able to capture the delicate, paper-like poppy petals with real precision.

I captured these next two images in my parents' backyard garden. 
a close-up
poppies just look happy, don't they?
Poppies of course have been favorite subjects of many painters too. Perhaps it's that poppies are so vibrant and lend such a punch of color. Here are a few poppy painting I find particularly beautiful.
Monet's "Poppies Blooming" 1873
at the Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Perhaps less famous than the Monet pictured above,
but no less beautiful.  This is by William Blair Bruce -
"Landscape with Poppies", 1887
the iconic American painter, Georgia O'Keefe's,
"Oriental Poppies", 1928
Aren't they gorgeous?

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