Vivid colour is usually at the core of my art. So this image stands out to me. The photograph I took is of an Australian native lily called Milkmaids. Editing it in Photoshop, I decided to bring out the softness of the flower. The digital soft focus brings out the delicacy of the bloom. I had it printed on a large canvas, and onto a scarf.

A Floating Presence

For a long time I had the canvas hanging on our lounge room wall. Milkmaids are one of my favourite wild flowers. Emerging in spring, the pure white and pink against bushland greens draws focus. This in itself is a pleasing colour combination, and I have other photographs which draw out the contrast between the green and pinks. In this artwork, I wanted the form of the flower to be the focus, not the colours.

To achieve this soft focus effect, I put a monotone filter over the photograph and used an eraser tool to reveal the pinks and browns of the centre of the flower and leaves.

While I could have worked more on the image to bring out other details, the pink centres imply the reason these flowers are named Milkmaids. The image as a whole has a dreamy quality that I like.

Printing on Canvas

These days, I don’t have my artwork printed on canvas. While I enjoy the large size of the work, and the heft of the frame, the printed surface is actually quite fragile.

In the case of Milkmaids, the size of the canvas suits a large wall. I imagine it hanging in a light filled room with pale walls. Then it would shine.

I’ll have ‘Milkmaids’ in my studio for the Golden Plains Arts Trail. It’s time it found a new home. Come and visit my studio on 12th and 13th April. You can find the full brochure listing all participating artists and venues here.