Farmers market Bouquets

Buying bouquets from the local Farmers Market is not something new to me. What is new is the weekly consistency.

Past years I would buy them when the weather was cool because then they would last for most of the week. But as soon as the weather got hot, I quit. When the flowers only lasted a couple days, ten dollars seemed like a lot to spend.

This year though, I am seeking out the flowers that will die gracefully. Flowers with beauty in their demise. In the last few years I have learned to embrace the beauty of decay and to document the process.

When I buy my bouquets now I look for the most unusual. Unique shapes, strong organic lines, ones that stand out. Different is my motto. There is already enough sameness in the world. What we need is more different.

I am developing my own process to include these flowers into my art. First I photograph, looking for light, line and composition. This is my form of a sketchbook.

Then I do simple loose line sketches of my favorites. I pay close attention to how the lines make me feel, this feeling will later influence my mixed media pieces.

My favorite blooms are the ones that follow their own path, often dropping over side of the vase, simply elegant in their uniqueness and their decay.