Spring is here, and so are we! Fresh from California, treat your eyes to this brand new bunch of florals direct from Jodie - only available at Green Door Art Gallery (not featured online).
They represent her newest work while on a recent painting trip to California's poppy fields - bright and blooming - right after rains refreshed the drought-blighted area. These beautiful canvases come in a variety of sizes and palettes, and they won't last long - one sold during the trip itself!
Stop by Green Door Art Gallery’s vibrant, new exhibit, Botanicals & Blooms, Say hello to gallery owner, Mary Martin, and explore the unique talents and beauty of local artists including Jodie's plein air oil paintings.
The current exhibit runs through June with an opening reception, 5-8 p.m. on Friday evening, May 19. Jodie sends her warm hellos to all, and while she will not be present at the opening, her new works will be.
Imagine yourself in Antelope Valley of northern Los Angeles County, immersed in a rainbow of blooms - poppies happen to be California's state flower. Says Jodie of her trip, "I painted within a few miles of the reserve where the flowers were in even fuller bloom - poppies, buttercup, purple flowers. This winter we've had unprecedented levels of rain, which was incredibly needed after a three-year drought throughout the state. Excess rain brought on the blooming of dormant wildflowers all over the state in addition to the regular amount of blooms.”
Jodie continues, "As an artist, I was interested not just in the surface level of this area's features, but in the spiritual lessons they offer. Thinking of drought in a biblical way - a belief in lack, being deprived, not having enough, and realizing how the seeds were present all along patiently waiting for needed nutrients to bloom again. In life when circumstances may be 'drought-like', we can remember the promise of fruition as we continue day-by-day to do our God’s work. Sometimes extended periods of drought result in even greater rewards than anticipated!
“The fullness of flowers in these fields and the combination of yellow, orange, purple, red, and green was a remarkable place to paint and just be quiet with God. I hope the following qualities and feelings are communicated through the paintings: joy, quietude, gratitude, the gentle feeling of God, Spirit, as the flowers danced in the wind, and the embrace of God, Soul, as the flowers stood tall and shone in the sunshine.”
The (sold) poppy painting featured below was painted in the Lancaster, California poppy fields.
