Happy Early Mother’s Day! This image,

“A Gift from Noah” © Stefanie Taranto, oil pastel, image16”x12”, 20”x16” framed, is inspired by flowers my son gave me. It leans towards abstraction, utilizing a minimalist palette.

Shades of cool purple, periwinkle, blue working with spring, sap and grass greens set of by warm tones of gold.

I used my iPhone’s camera as a tool to see how the composition worked in black and white, thank you Nicholas Wilton for that tip!  It helps in seeing what to add or what one might want to edit…

Hope you enjoy them! 

Happy May Day!

Peonies are one of my favorite spring flowers.  What are yours?

Amazing, isn’t it, how the peony rhizomes overwinter year after year to then bloom with  a spectacular show each spring?  Beginning anew,

“New Beginnings”.

This acrylic painting captures the cycle of sprouting to bloom.  A tight bud of green that gradually gives you a glimpse of hot pink encapsulating an ever growing globe.  Eventually the peony transforms into the glorious reveal of the fuchsia bloom. 

Each year with the coming of May I have the pleasure of watching this transformation from my studio door. I feast my eyes on these lush beauties reaching for the sky, and then enjoy the physical act of cutting just a few to bring inside, feeling the soft petals on my face as I inhale their intoxicating sweet scent.  

I hope you have a lovely weekend,

Stefanie