Oh, Peonies!

With the recent seasonal blooming of peonies, it seemed not a day went by where you didn't hear someone say, Oh! Look at the peonies! I love peonies! and gesture wildly with excitement. This always makes me think, Really? You do? Those? I finally just have to give up and admit the fact that I do not like peonies, and in fact, might proclaim them my least favorite flower. I realize this puts me in a very small minority among plant and flower admirers. Okay.

What's funny is, the whole week or two when I was realizing my true, unpopular feeling about the peony, I was given an opportunity to make a painting for someone, with the simple direction, Pink, Purple, Peonies. Uh, universe? Is this a joke?


I conveyed to the client that I could create something representational of the peony, but that it would definitely not be a painting of peonies. She said that's fine. So now I have photos of peonies occupying a wall in the studio and I'm studying them every day trying to envision where this thing's going to end up and I basically have no clue. I do find the pursuit to make something I love out of a subject and color direction I would never choose an interesting challenge.

The pics hanging in the garage are from Flickr search for peonies. I didn't get the links to credit them. The first image is by Ecritures.