Beginning July 9, Lily Pad West invites sunshine and vibrancy into our lives with their Vanitas: Contemporary Florals show. Artists such as Michael Lynn Adams, Jacqueline Kamin and John Traynor, come together in a show of floral brilliance, utilizing the 17th-century Dutch vanitas style of still life, with symbolic items as a reminder of change and mortality. The floral show at Lily Pad West is definitely illustrating a change, or seemingly lifting us out of the madness and into the light.
Yana Movchan, Blue Symphony, oil on canvas, 24 x 36"
Show artist Jean Lightman furthers the sentiment in stating, “I hope to convey the awe that I feel when I am gazing at a dramatic peony in full bloom; the ephemeral beauty, the vibrant dance. It’s ours to notice and savor for a brief joyous moment.”
Lightman painted her Boston School traditional peonies, Hope and Dancing on Air, in the middle of the pandemic. “The future was uncertain,” she says, “and there was so much suffering and death. But then the peonies started blooming and that felt like a beacon of hope; the return of nature’s annual summer offering and, along with that, reassurance that life continues.”
Jean Lightman, Hope, oil on canvas, 12 x 9"
Yana Movchan was also greatly swayed by the pandemic, noting the many stressors and uncertainty, but it was all the more reason for her to paint flowers. She says, “Art for me was my escape, and now it works perfectly. As much as I am afraid, I am trying to create an environment where I would be comfortable. I think it works the same for my collectors. One can look inside of my art and imagine yourself and be comfortable. Live in this peaceful world for a while, we all need it.”
Movchan’s piece Blue Symphony is aptly named, as it’s a symphony of vibrant color and nature colliding. Much as in the style of the Old Masters, the artist portrays an ornate arrangement of hydrangea, iris, peonies and more, along with beautifully colored birds perched on flower stems. Everything is so realistic that it almost feels like you could reach out and feel the silkiness of a flower petal. “[Blue Symphony] is a song dedicated to my family,” Movchan explains. “It is a song about support in the right way, which will bloom like a bouquet of flowers. It's a song that has different colors and emotions.”
Jean Lightman, Dancing on Air, oil on canvas, 14 x 11"
Another beautifully intricate floral scene for the show, Peonies in White Peacock Vase by Christopher Pierce, showcases a theme of red and white peonies. “Composition and rhythm are probably the most important elements in my work (value, color and space being close seconds),” says Pierce. “It’s important for me that I conduct the viewer’s eye through and around the painting. I literally think of it as a ‘journey’ through the painting, and hopefully a colorful and successful one.”
Christopher Pierce, Peonies in White Peacock Vase, oil on canvas, 30 x 36"
These artists prefer to paint from life and use models grown or seen right in nature. “I grow all my own models,” Pierce says, “and cut them fresh from the garden.” During the winter months, Lightman likes to paint silk flowers, often peonies, but her process in the summer is different when “I have the luxury of painting live peonies,” she explains. “Once the flower has wilted, I declare the painting finished.”
Lily Pad West invites collectors into a joyful, spirited experience, July 9 through August 15. —
Lily Pad West
215 N. Broadway • Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 509-5756 • www.lilypadgallery.com
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