Poppy

An artist friend once told me that if you can’t think of anything to paint, paint poppies. This print was inspired by Georgia O’Keefe and the glorious ornamental poppies that spring up right outside my front door; just one of the things I love about the island.

It may take a second for the viewer to realize this print is a flower. The close cropping is meant to emulate a viewer’s gaze as he or she zeros in on a bright and colourful blossom with the sole purpose of captivating attention. The black and white treatment draws attention to the play of sunlight on pistil and petals.

The collagraph plate was prepared using cut paper adhered to a matboard substrate and then coated with polymer. I then painted gritty carborundum gel, matt medium or gloss medium onto the surface to create textures that either attract or repel ink, which, in turn, creates light and dark values in the piece.