Original 18x24” acrylic painting on gallery stretched canvas. Signed and authenticated by the artist.

About the Collection, from the Artist:

“Flowers: Up Close and Personal is the start of my own personal floriography: a crypto-logical form of communication through the arrangement of flowers. This collection of original studies is the start of a personal communication system I am developing to express emotions and life experiences through flowers and paint… a way of communicating without the use of words.

My gardens over the years have become a safe space for my mind, heart and nervous system. A place I go where everything else goes silent, possibly the only place I go where this happens… This Summer was the first I spent with equal time in my garden and in front of the easel, weaving my way between the world of flowers and the world of painting. Learning to paint flowers while simultaneously allowing them to teach me about their secret language through the folklore of those who came before me.

Flowers have been used to communicate emotions for thousands of years. Across cultures, belief systems and generations flowers have been grown and exchanged as a way to express emotion and thought.

Shakespeare explored flowers in Hamlet, through the voice of Ophelia:

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.
Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies,
that’s for thoughts . . .
There’s fennel for you, and columbines.
There’s rue for you, and here’s some for me; we
may call it herb of grace o’ Sundays. You must wear your
rue with a difference. There’s a daisy. I would
give you some violets, but they withered all
when my father died.”

Flowers became an integral part of our way of life during Queen Victoria’s reign when communicating specific emotions was not allowed, flowers became a way of expressing emotion without words…

There is a language, little known,
Lovers claim it as their own.
Its symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by nature’s wondrous hand;
And in their silent beauty speak,
Of life and joy, to those who seek
For Love Divine and sunny hours
In the language of the flowers

- The Language of Flowers, London, 1875

These works are an expression of my soul, my healing and my growth. Studies are, to me, almost more important than the bigger pieces they someday become. They are where I work out all of my doubt, chaos and frustration. They are what teach me what I need to know to continue as an artist. They are stepping stones into a new era of my journey as an artist and creative. They taught me grace, humility and patience and they reflected a mirror of my true artistic potential.

I hope you love and cherish them as much as I do.

About The Art, From the Artist:

This piece is an ode to the introverted side of all of us. The parts afraid to be seen. It is also a melody of beauty and the beauty that lies within all of us, even when we feel as though we may be falling apart. The peonies in my garden are delicate, so delicate I don’t even enjoy cutting them for my indoor vases - they seem to belong on their stem, wary of what separation might mean. They do not last very long away from their home base, they last much longer on connected to the stalk. I wrote this description before I began my research on the history of its symbolism and folklore…

Because of the Greek myth with Paeonia the nymph, peonies grew to symbolize bashfulness. This then evolved into the Victorians believing that if you dug up a peony, fairies would come and put a curse on you. Some people even believe that if you let peony leaves dry up and the flowers fade then you should prepare for some bad luck.

Peonies are an expression of our delicate parts, the parts that we want to pick apart but would actually be better off left as is, in all of its natural beauty.

Specifications:

Size: 18x24x1.5”

Medium(s): Acrylic

Surface: Streched canvas.

Frame: Unframed. I will happily make suggestion on custom framing for this piece that fits within your budget.

Comes ready to hang, signed and with a certificate of authenticity..

Payment Plans:

Choose AfterPay at checkout to make 4 interest free payments over 8 weeks.

Shipping:

All orders ship via USPS priority OR FedEx Ground. International shipping is available to all countries, please send an email to artistjessicayoung@gmail.com to arrange for international shipping.

We package with the utmost care and diligence but if any issues arise due to shipping damage please contact us within 48 hours of receiving your piece.