Hosta (9.75" x 6.5", Oil Pastel, 2004) is one of the more abstract works that I've done. It was really fun to let go of reality and just enjoy the shapes and patterns created by the leaves of a varigated hosta. Since I use what my printer calls a "faint copy" as the base for the pastels, there are areas of color which aren't true to the original photo, due to lack of sufficient ink. Sometimes I ignore the variations, but in this painting I exaggerated them.
The result reminds me of works by some of the early 20th Century European abstract painters that I became acquainted with in my two years of art history in school. That particular era was my least favorite, since my preference at the time was for classical realism. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe how much my work has changed; at this rate, I really don't know where I'm going with it. The journey is quite interesting.
Hosta is in the collection of Phillip Morris USA, in Concord, NC.
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