Original artwork description:

The painting opens series of three canvases depicting a bouquet of thistle I gathered during one of my journey through Ukrainian historic places. However the still life clearly moves beyond a traditional, realistic representation of flowers. It explores the boundary between abstraction and representation, hinting at floral forms without fully defining them.

The palette is primarily monochromatic, dominated by shades of brown and ochre. Hints of green and muted yellows subtly emerge from the predominantly brown background, adding complexity without sacrificing overall unity. The use of earthy tones reinforces the connection to the natural cycle of life and death, suggesting that the flowers are returning to the earth from which they came.

Visible and expressive brushstrokes, layered application of paint, along with techniques like scumbling contribute to a rich, textural surface. The thick, textured paint is an allusion to the physical process of decay, with the paint itself seeming to crumble and disintegrate.

A sense of quiet contemplation pervades the painting. In its own way the still life is a meditation over themes of time, mortality, and the ephemeral nature of beauty.

Materials used:

Oil

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