Saturday, May 28, 2016

Under the Lilacs

Louisa May Alcott wrote a book entitled Under the Lilacs—which I read as a child, though I remember not one detail at the moment.

I just looked it up on line to see if the story might come back to me: First published in 1878, the children's novel tells the story of two girls, Bab and Betty Moss, Miss Celia, a circus runaway, Ben Brown, and his dog Sancho.

Bab and Betty? Circus runaway? Sancho? Nope, not ringing one single bell.

Nonetheless, I'm appropriating the title for my current series of four paintings. I love lilacs, and I mourn the loss of the two very old bushes that were still alive when we bought our home nearly 40 years ago but are now gone.

Once I cut UPDH into quarters, I found and developed the heart of each individual piece a little further, and now I have a series.


Under the Lilacs

Announcing: Lilacs!
6.75x5.25", acrylic, charcoal, and oil and wax pastel on watercolor paper
abstract
2016
$140 for series
Sweet Syringa
6.75x5.25", acrylic, charcoal, oil and wax pastel on watercolor paper
abstract
2016
$140 for series
Lilac Perfume
6.75x5.25", acrylic, charcoal, oil and wax pastel on watercolor paper
abstract
2016
$140 for series
Syringa Reticulata
6.75x5.25", acrylic, charcoal, oil and wax pastel on watercolor paper
abstract
2016
$140 for series



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For those of you with short term memory lapses, here's the first draft of the original painting:












7 comments:

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Good morning! Yes, long journey with this piece—layer after layer and no idea where it would go. Fun for me to see where it DID go!

Sheila said...

So in love with these Dotty. Been sitting here staring. Vibrant, peaceful, alive, intoxicating.

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Thanks, Sheila! You captured the essence of lilacs in bloom with your words : )

Simone said...

Wonderful how the 'shy' one below has developed to this beautiful wild paintings! Isn't painting a very miraculous thing to do?

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Simone, I love the shy-to-wild image. Thank you. Yes, painting is entirely miraculous!

Laurie Mueller said...

AHHHHHHH.....Lilacs, my favorite! I have wonderful memories of being under a neighbor's lilac bush with my friends. Beautiful pieces, Dotty. I especially love the shades of warm greens you came up with.

dotty seiter: now playing said...

Being under a neighbor's lilac bush with friends—the best!

Thanks for your comments re my paintings.

Fun to have you draw attention to the warm greens. Who knows what led me to them? (intuition, not conscious thought, that's for sure), but I love how they read as background, masterfully showcasing the lilacs. They are critical.

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