Peonies & Lilacs x2 grew out of the colors of peonies and lilacs—magenta and soft pink from the peonies, deeper and lighter purples from the lilacs. I had already explored those flowers in other paintings, but when I looked at the earlier pieces, I felt they hadn’t gone far enough.
So I kept pushing this one. I added another peony arrangement, brought in touches of green for depth and warmth, and repeatedly turned the canvas as I worked. Sponges helped me apply and blend the paint, building layer over layer until the surface had the depth and movement I had been looking for.
I wasn’t trying to recreate either flower. With my aphantasia, I was responding to their colors and to what the painting itself seemed to need as it developed. Peonies & Lilacs x2 became a second exploration of those flowers—only this time, I knew when I had gone far enough.