Happy California Poppy is a an Original Oil painting, on canvas that is stretched on1 1/2" thick stretcher bars. It is gallery wrapped and painted on the sides which gives it a finished look without a frame. The painting will come to you wired and ready to hang without a frame OR it can be further finished with a frame if preferred.
About the painting: Besides my love of color of flowers AND that orange is my favorite color which made this painting a joy to paint, there is as a definite story behind why I named this painting "Happy" California Poppy!
Before the story - just a little studio and technique talk! This large scale close up artwork of the Poppy is me getting the urge and opportunity to explore more the near abstraction and the making of a contemporary statement with the timeless subject matter of a flower. Have I been told some of my works remind other of floral works by Georgia O'Keeffe? Yes I have - and when that happens .. I think it is AOK and would love the time and opportunity to explore further. What fun!
Now- the story....I am a California girl - and a Southern California girl at that. Though I have traveled to and appreciate many other beautiful US states, have spent a number of years living in Hawaii, and, at times have traveled around actually looking for another place where we might enjoy living and where the grass might be 'greener' - we have always returned to San Diego area as a home base.
Not long ago my husband was given a business opportunity he could not turn down - in Oregon - and off we went to live. Within months of a full household move, studio and all and thinking that this is where we had committed to live, the partnership that brought us there fell apart. This left my husband scrambling back to San Diego to figure out the next move while I stayed in a very rural area on 28 acres in what ended up being the worst winter of recorded history in Oregon. I was snowed in - in a place that "never" snows for weeks at a time!!
After the snow, it then continued to rain so much that no movers would come to move us until the end of June when it finally let up. It was CRAZY!
So.... in thinking of California and my absolute ecstatic happiness to get back there- I had painted this California Poppy - our official state flower and called it Happy California Poppy. I also decided to add some 'hidden' little 'happy faces' in the piece that you might not see unless you are really looking for them!
May this happy, bright color and the sentiment bring a 'Happy Face' to you! Enjoy!