Flower Painting
Lady's Slipper Orchid

by Marco Michel

I had occasion to okay an artist to us one of Brian Johnston flower photographs to create a work of art, below. (Mol)

And this is what Marco achieved...
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SIDE BY SIDE...

DETAIL...

<<<=== And Marco says,
The media is oil on canvas, size is 24"x18" inches (which is approximately 61x46 cm in metric units). I am also self-trained.Because I don't have any formal training, my intention with this piece was to try my hand at realism, since most of my other work is quite fantastical and highly stylized. Brian's photo served as the perfect reference for me to observe and render all the tiny little details and intricacies that make this flower's appearance so unique. I had a lot of fun with the colors and got to experiment with texture, allowing the coexistence of messiness and precision. I think finding that balance was my favorite challenge of the painting process, because I'm trying to get better at rejecting perfectionism and rendering the illusion of detail rather than getting lost in the weeds.

In terms of the subject, I've always been fascinated by the form and anatomy of orchids in their many varieties (this was my first time seeing the Lady's Slipper variant). What makes orchids different from all other flowering plants is how their stamen and pistil (male and female parts) are fused into one structure at the center. To me, this makes the orchid ripe for allegory, as my body of work reflects overarching themes of duality, ambiguity, and femininity. Not to mention that orchids are also just so beautiful and ethereal!

I think that's all. Let me know if you have any other questions. Website is still under construction. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind having my Instagram linked instead since I'll have my portfolio URL in bio once it's back up.

Anyway thanks so much again for your interest. I'm very glad to have connected!

All the best,

Marco
 

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