

detail of brushwork on the tulip petals
I love tulips! I love their simple shapes. I love their rich history. I love their Dutch-ness. I love how they reach and grow and stretch when they are cut and put in vases.
When I set up this still life, the tulips were partly opened, as you can tell from the lower photo, my start. As I painted them, the heat from the lamp made them open up and change position and importance. By the time I was finished painting today, the tulips were nearly twice their original size.
I love tulips. They add an interesting aspect to a painting, the not-so-still life.