Oil on canvas – 14,96 x 18,11 inch – Unique work

The idea came to me one beautiful morning of spring.

As I looked at my bouquet of freshly picked peonies in a beautiful garden of a small house in Conches-sur-Gondoire, a light went on in my mind … Does it ring the bell? It was the story of Peonies 1, 2 and 3. And in Peonies 1, I unveiled the backstage of the Peonies series as follows: the same evening, I was happy to receive a photo of the same peonies from the same garden by the owners and my friends. And a few days later, another one! Both are awesome, impossible for me to choose between one or the other. So the two of them will be part of the series, it’s settled.

We parted with Bouquet of Peonies 1 and the first day is over and the project is off to a good start. The next day, I’ll paint the white peonies. I couldn’t say why but for me they are much easier to paint. I speed ahead while taking breaks from time to time. Obviously, the joints sometimes tire. It’s hard life as an artist!

And then, I cut out slowly but surely for a clear background, precise and blurred in places. The idea is to do it all at once. But it’s not always easy. It’s done.

Final stretch, I start the little one, at last, the big last one of the series. It’s the bouquet of peonies in all the splendor of its blossoming. Always the same goals and time constraints. Except that here, with my intensive “internship”, it’s as if the brush is moving on its own. From now on he knows the slightest way, the slightest return, the smallest lost corner. There are no more secrets between the peonies and me!

Well, let’s not sell the bear’s skin before I have caught the bear. Because, it needs talent and balance of colors and values. And this small, big, huge detail, the one that makes all the difference, is, unfortunately, not visible at first draft. I have to wait for the second, or even the third, to fully appreciate my work. And then it’s like a little late … Fingers crossed, it never happened to completely miss my subject. I have my favorites, my disappointments, my hates, but overall we make one big, beautiful family!

Mission Peonies successful.