Vincent's Poppies by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Vincent's Poppies by Leada Wood©
DO NOT COPY!

I think all artists are drawn to nature and beautiful flowers. Especially sunflowers and poppies...such vivid happy colors they possess. Georgia O’ Keefe and Vincent Van Gogh were my favorite painters of flowers. They both painted Poppies, rich red poppies. I too have always loved to paint poppies...in every hue. I have painted their portraits large like O’Keefe and I have painted them in still lives like Van Gogh, but always in my own style throughout my career.

For the Messin' with the Masters show I decided to paint my own rendition of poppies with Van Gogh as my inspiration. He has inspired so many artists throughout the years. Such a pity he knew no fame and sold only one painting during his brief lifetime. A great artist and a prolific painter, I felt compelled to pay homage to him.

I love Vincent's vibrant red poppy paintings...how happy they make me as i look at them. I hope they brought him great joy painting them. Maybe that is why he did so many paintings...they were his only joy in life.

His letters to his brother Theo were somber and sad. I find comfort thinking that his art brought him great happiness. I know his art has brought pleasure to generations of people who have seen his works.

I too hope that my art brings you pleasure and brightens your day.

The Red Poppies and Butterflies by Van Gogh had an Oriental feeling to me so I decided to use a Chinese newspaper for the calligraphic under layer. Then I started layering Glazes of color to give a golden glow to background yet allowing the calligraphy to remain visible. I used some of my own Poppy photos for the drawing.

 I didn't want to slavishly copy his work but to interpret it with my style. I think I successfully gave it a contemporary look yet paid homage to the master Van Gogh.

This is another one of my paintings for the Messin With The Masters Show. It is 24x30, acrylic on canvas.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happiness by Leada Wood ©

Happiness by Leada Wood©

Aww happiness is decorating the cover of a new sketchbook.  Inside will be all kinds of possibilities for new paintings...ideas...designs. You just never know what you will come up with until you start playing around in "the book".  I am not one to have a plain cover on MY sketchbook...I want it to beckon me to pick it up and spend time with it.

Cupcake Faries by Leada Wood©, Artist Of Texas

Cupcake Fairies by Leada Wood©

I did this painting 8x10, watercolor on paper for a sweet lady named Cindy who does the most fabulous decorated cupcakes and they taste wonderful also! I was hosting a tea for some friends from Denmark and Cindy made the prettiest cupcakes you can imagine for the tea.  There were flowers and butterflies in every color imaginable...each cupcake was a little work of art. I think Cindy must have a bunch of little fairies helping her decorate! Thank you Cindy!