Romantic Botanicals #62

Count Romaine goes West

It is the last day of school and now the kids are out for the summer.  At lunch my son and his friends have a fire and make smores and burn their school work that they don't want to keep. After the fire I begin painting.

This is the romaine lettuce in the garden gone to flower. It is a tall plant with swirling branches. The blue flowers open with the sun and close at night. While I paint it I realize how much the bees love it. Big bees, small bees and even whitish bees zoom around and drink. Three dragon flies rest on the branches for a long time, perhaps a half hour. It is much loved.

The narrative I build is of Count Romain who goes on the wagon train trail. He is spoiled and doesn't know how to work or help others but he is humorous and fun loving. On the wagon train is the preacher's daughter who has the opposite traits.

I simplify as I go because this is a very complex image. I paint the bees and dragonflies as they happen. It interrupts the flow of the painting as the composition is in flux each time a suitor for the flower arrives. It is a ongoing randomness that creates a will-it-flop or will-it-fly riskiness that makes me feel alive as I paint.

romantic botanicals #62  Count Romaine goes West,  June 30,  2016 oil on canvas 9" x 12" sunny to shady 5h

it is a very tall plant

the lens my brother gave me works so well to capture the activity in the lettuce plant. Photos are so accurate.

It is like Teletubby land in the backyard as 3 bunnies nibble away beside me. They are eating the clover and dandelions.