Inspired by peonies outside my window, the end of summer monochromes are unlike any I've made so far. Rather than celebrating sun ripened produce at it's peak, they explore a softer palette, the passage of time, and the beauty of transition. Drawn from life, Last of the Peonies is meant to evoke the shimmer and shifts in color from the center of a petal to it's pink or pale yellow-tinged edge. 

Hydrangea's multiple layers of oil pastel were scumbled and burnished by hand to describe a single petal lit from within by the white surface of the paper. Magenta collects around the edges of the petal, both describing it's curved edges and defying the confines of the square.

The small Viola Variations are studies of satiny interiors as their petals shift from blue to yellow. Violas may bloom all summer, but are at their most poignant in early fall. Red tulip was a winter work, drawn out of season, it's color borrowed from far away climes.