Flowers & Folklore Collection
This series was born out a deep love of storytelling and a lifelong obsession with mythology and cultural folklore. Combining my two loves, flowers and stories, this collection explores the stories, history and folktales of some of the most popular flowers.
Dive a little deeper into each piece from this collection below.
Stories Woven Into Every Flower From Around the world
A Dream So Sweet, with Tears of Blood
Light Enchanted, Ever True, and Tender
This painting explores the legend and history of the Cherokee Rose. The Cherokee Rose’s story is deeply rooted in the devastating Trail of Tears, the forceful removal of Native peoples from their homeland, and the genocide that murdered millions. Legend says that the Cherokee Rose sprung from the tears of mothers, grieving the loss of their children. The flower became a symbol of resilience, unity and hope.
This painting explores the dark history of our country, a duality of pain and hope, and a reminder to never forget the truth and history of the land beneath our feet.
This painting is inspired by the Greek myth of the sunflower. In the myth, a nymph Clytie, falls in love with Helios, the titan god of the sun. When he rejects her, she pines away, eventually transforming into a sunflower, forever following the sun across the sky. Thus, the sunflower is a symbol of unrequited love, adoration and loyalty.
This rendering of ranunculus flowers and songbirds is inspired by a Persian tale of a love struck prince, who serenaded his love with song day and night. When she grew tired of his song, he was transformed into a ranunculus flower. This painting captures the feeling of joy, song, love and longing.
For this piece, I experimented with collaging punched paper, which added a new effect in layering pattern, color and texture.
When We Meet Again
This painting is inspired by Chinese folklore and the tale of a tragic romance. The tale is about two lovers who were forbidden to be together. A powerful emperor separated them by making them stars in the night sky, separated forever by the “Silver River” , a poetic name for the Milky Way. But for one night a year, they are allowed to be together, and a flock of magpies form a bridge across the galaxy for them to meet. This painting is about fleeting moments, longing and the enduring power of love.
It Lives on in Memory
This painting is inspired by the folklore of the Forget-Me-Not flower. In European folklore, there is a tragic tale of a knight who is walking with his love along a river. When he bends down to pick the tiny blue flowers for his love, he falls into the river and is swept away. As he goes, he yells to his love “forget me not!” and thus the flower is a symbol of remembrance. This painting signifies the nostalgia and remembrance of our most cherished memories.
Tree of Life (Oh, Such Sweet Agony)
This painting started as a sketch inspired by the meaning of the eucalyptus plant. In ancient folklore, eucalyptus represents the separation between Earth, heaven and the underworld. The pomegranate is linked to the story of Persephone and represents the cycle of life and death. Pairing these two ideas inspired this vision of a tree, simultaneously shown at 3 distinct periods of time: Dawn, Day and Dusk. This painting transformed into a message about life itself, the cycles we go through, the pain and pleasure, and everlasting endurance.
The Place Where the Sky Meets Everything Else
This painting represents the energy and interconnectivity of the natural world. It explores abstraction of the cosmic, the divine, and the harmony of nature. It captures the feeling of one moment and memory, colliding with many more. Exploring the ever changing, fragility and resilience of the world around us. I was inspired by the Pawnee folktale of the "Dream Woman" who broke a hole in the sky and the pieces of sky that fell to earth became the larkspur flower.
A Love From Time Immemorial
This painting is inspired by a tragic Persian folktale, where a skilled sculptor falls for a princess. To prove his love, he is given the impossible task to carve a canal through a mountain. Close to success, he is tricked into believing his love has died, and in his agony, he throws himself off the mountain to his death. Red tulips are said to have grown where his body fell, as a symbol of pure love and devotion. This piece explores love and its magical relationship with storytelling, time, and history.
Things We Find in the Dark
The Journey of the Sun’s Return
Snowdrops symbolize rebirth and renewal. They are one of the first flowers to emerge after a snowy winter. This painting is inspired by a Romanian folktale about a brave hero who rescues the Sun from Winter, marking the beginning of Spring. The snowdrops emerged from the brave hero’s sacrifice. This piece celebrates spring, hope and the promise of renewal.
Sing Me a Love Song