Almost Georgia O’Keefe. When I was studying life drawing back in the 1970’s at The Art Student’s League in NYC, they had an exhibition of past students’ paintings in the large hall. When I walked in, across the room on the adjacent wall, I immediately spotted a very small still-life. Rabbit, copper pot, probably some fruit painted in meticulous detail. It was a very early O’Keefe. Have been inspired today by Kathleen Clemons’ beautiful flower photography. All of my peonies were in full bloom this morning in the garden.
For the early June bride or bridesmaid, peony are up there with the true romantics, rivaling ranunculus and roses, however, they last only a few days in the field and are picked in the bud stage for florists and designers.
And Here Comes the Bride…
A few years ago I planted a couple dozen peonies for my daughter’s wedding which was planned for June. What wasn’t planned was for Kendra to leave for Japan for two years and Eduardo to spend a year in Iceland where they eloped so that he could stay with Kendra her second year in Japan. The wedding ended up in August, three years later than that June wedding date, with zinnias, cosmos, dill flowers, and dahlias. Just as gorgeous as the anticipated peonies.
Ms. Clemons gets in very, very close with a 180mm lens. I’ve used my 100mm macro here. Have been working diligently on my focusing and Lightroom skills, both which are some of the biggest challenges for me in photography. Today I feel like I took a big step forward with these few photos. A day well-spent in natural beauty, inspiration, and fragrance. Hope you are enjoying your outdoors.
-Sheila
PS These little thumbnails I place at the end of each post are a snapshot of my starting point. A plate, baking dish, background, – usually what grabs my eye. These are the flowers I gathered before this peony shoot.
