"Flora in Spring" is the second piece in what will be a 4 painting series of the seasons. In "Flora in Winter" (pictured below) she is mostly in shadow with just a hint of light, in Spring the light is growing, almost emanating from her person. The blooms are larger and more numerous, but the feeling is still meant to be soft and hopeful, it is the very beginning of spring and Flora turns to look at the viewer with just the hint of a smile forming on her lips, with quietness and a still anticipation for the bounty of flowers that summer will bring. The painting is 24x30, oil on linen. I've embraced a classical subject matter and am painting it in a fully classical manner, however within that traditional rubric, I look to challenge the traditional European notions of beauty that have characterized depictions of Flora all through history.
