Kirsten Wright presents a stunning array of autumn colours in Farmhouse Nostalgia. The artist chose to portray autumn in her floral arrangement for the romance factor the season brings to our lives. Flowers look different and more vibrant during the autumn season and Kirsten brings those hues to life in the most spectacular way.
It can be a difficult thing to bring a still life image to life. Providing body to a seascape or landscape is easier as other elements in nature make it possible. The lack of available background in a still life painting makes it a true challenge to bring the same vigor and body to the image. However, in Farmhouse Nostalgia, you can feel the passion that went into every brush stroke. This piece seems as if someone simply picked flowers from the garden of their own farmhouse and presented them as a remarkable centerpiece.
Farmhouse Nostalgia is more than just a vase of flowers and Kirsten has done an excellent job at making the viewer wonder where the flowers were from and why they are placed on the table. Not only do we have the impeccable styling of the large vase, but the smaller one with flowers whose stems were simply not long enough for the primary arrangement. The subtle element can be easy to miss, but portrays the notion that every flower is just as important as the next.
Floral paintings can sometimes seem stagnant in their ability to portray emotion and movement. However, in Kirsten’s Farmhouse Nostalgia we can almost feel the breeze blowing through an open window and smell the sweet essence of the flowers themselves. The addition of not merely the flowers, but their leaves as well allows us to see beauty in much more than just the vivid hues of flowers.
The name Farmhouse Nostalgia is remarkably fitting for the piece, but let us hear what the artist herself has to say about this awe inspiring piece.
This is more than just flowers on a table. What are some of the subtle nuances you want the viewer to pick up on?
It is the careful selection of earthy pinks and creams. The colours are created to suit the mood I wanted to create.
What is so inspiring to you about these particular flowers?
As a textile designer I am looking at textures and depth, not merely flowers
What location would you envision this piece finding a home? Where would it seem most appropriate?
A sitting room, dining room or even a bathroom
For you, what is the most nostalgic part of the painting?
The colouring seems more nostalgic than modern
How did you know the piece was completed? What was the final brush stroke that told you it was finished?
The highlights on the terracotta pot. I describe it as putting lipstick on as the final touch.
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