~ FLOWER SERIES ~

Spring is upon us. The ground sprouts with a cacophony of color; new, brilliant greenery backdrops; a plethora of rainbow hues. Spring happens once a year in this region, but not for me. Since my youth, flowers have been a constant - unregulated by seasonal change. Flowers are in the home, on windowsills, the street, parks; everywhere a profusion of exotic colors, shapes and scents invade the senses every day. Flowers are all seasonal, a daily occurrence in Bahia, Brazil, where I'm from. Flowers are familiar in my paintings, a source of inspiration. I close my eyes and imagine the many shapes and colors. I'm transported through my life and remember defining moments associated with specific flowers. They are a source of imagery and memory. My flowers are abstractions. They are memories - some faded, other times punctuated by moments of visual clarity. I see general shapes, but not in photographic detail. That is no longer possible, since my flowers are infused with meaning by their association with real life events. I no longer need to look at flowers; I paint by memory, unrestrained by formalistic precision. The flowers are not detailed, nor, for that matter, represent a specific genus. They are metaphors that portray a history based on my experience.