The Flower Paintings are an ongoing series that I began in 2014 which uses the trope of the flower still-life to reflect on how gender is/has been used in the context of painting and art history. The series began with works that were inspired by Dutch flower painting, both visually and conceptually, as historically women were typically relegated to flower painting, if they were to paint at all. These early works in 2014 were shrouded in darkness and the flowers and vases were only ever partially visible. Cracks of light broke up the picture plane and gave a glimpse of a solitary vase in a dark or formless space. Eventually the works grew into bright, chunky layered paintings with loads of texture and color. While many of the paintings are on canvas, I also work on paper, collaging and creating odd shapes for the final pieces which I then fabricate custom paper frames.
