J is for July

#PostcardsfromthePandemic

 Its a bleak November day. Cold and rainy on top of all the other things that make up this day in history. 

When the pandemic began last spring, I found myself outdoors as often as possible - camera in hand. This spring was an especially beautiful one; nature offering solace in the bad times. So I began to photograph all of the gorgeous and ever changing array of flowers that were growing in the park, the streets and the gardens that surround our neighborhood. This was also the time when conversation about the troubled Post Office was dominating the news.

On the suggestion of a friend, I began doing a daily postcard size painting and mailing it to a friend (to do my bit to save USPS.)

 These paintings were almost always florals - abstract, loose, very colorful and fun to do. However, as I got deeper into the process, and as the spring turned to summer, my work began to change and my flowers began to reflect the actual flowers I was photographing - until they were almost botanical in style. In July, when the poppies bloom, the available models for my postcards were a riot of color and inspiration. My neighbor is a master gardener who grows a huge variety of flowers - none more spectacular than her poppies of many types and sizes.

In hope of another summer, and in honor of Veteran's Day, Poppies from the Garden. 

Arteza Brush Pens on Watercolor paper.