Poppy Fever

I came down with poppy fever in early March, 2013 in Tucson, Arizona, after stumbling across some magnificent poppies in full bloom. I couldn't get them off my mind for the next few weeks while I was busy with travel and other things, but their intense color and graceful shapes kept me feverish the whole time.  I have painted poppies before, but really wanted to do these . . . . .  better.   Finally, I sat down in my studio and began painting, rejecting, repainting, and finally, experimenting with different colors, papers, and techniques.  I had to get out of my comfort zone.  After a week or so of obsessive laboring, my fever broke, and this is what I ended up with:

1.  Electric Pops uses watercolor, and vodka as a wetting agent, on yupo, which is a slick, plastic paper.  I was inspired by some creative techniques learned from another Fairbanks artist, Steve Cross.

Electric Pops,  11x14"

2.  Jazzy Pops has unryu--a translucent mulberry paper--covering the painted layer, which was done on 140# Stephen Quiller cold press paper.  The unryu paper adds a nice  texture and softness, and is a technique I borrowed from well-known artist, Karlyn Holman.

Jazzy Pops, 11x14"

3.  Spicy Pops brazenly takes advantage of strong complements--yellow & orange set against a blue & violet background--to make the flowers more pronounced.  It is painted on 140# cold press Arches paper.

Spicy Pops, 8x11"

4.  Shimmer Pops is painted on a Chinese rice paper called raw shuan paper, which was first glued to 140# hot press Arches paper.  This results in a rich and delicate painting surface which absorbs paint without runs or spreading.

Shimmer Pops, 5x11

5.  Juicy Pops is painted on Arches hot press paper, then covered with a layer of fibered unryu paper glued on with diluted matte medium, then painted again over areas of the background.

Juicy Pops, 7.5x10"

6.  Sassy Pops is painted on hot press Arches in a spontaneous, unplanned style to keep the composition simple, bold, and dynamic. 

Sassy Pops, 7x11