Still life with roses, 2026. 🥀 I graciously gifted myself an early birthday present in the form of this antique washstand. A perfect place for making art, and an occasional place where cooking happens. These roses are from my neighbor’s yard, the ideal subject for my first still life on this marble beauty.
Still life with market grapes, 2026 | I’ve focused on bunches of grapes a number of times over the years (scroll to slides 2 and 3 to see what I mean), and I always struggle. Vineyard grapes are best, of course, but market grapes are what I more often have access to.
Friends, they are not the same.
Even still, when I see a particularly winsome varietal peeking out from under the plastic clamshell box, I can’t help myself. Then I do everything I can to return them to their natural state, to varying degrees of success.
These blush-hued orbs had been awaiting my inspiration for a couple of weeks. It struck (finally) and I’m grateful.
Still life with orchids, 2026 | Oh, but a time was HAD making this one! I pulled in all kinds of co-stars for this semi-tropic wonderland. Air plant from the bathroom? Sure! Moss from the yard? Yes! Yes to all!
Still life with spring bouquet, 2026 | 💐 In addition to show-stopping poppies and anemones, today’s arrangement includes lemongrass, coriander (cilantro), narcissus, pampas, and pincushions. Pulling each and every stem from the buckets at @farmlot59 is the height of joy for me. 🌾
How do you talk about lilies while the world burns? I wish I knew. The curve and coil of each buttery petal speaks of earthbound, elemental truths. Even so, flowers can seem frivolous in light of things—and this very app tends toward irreverence.
What if, instead, we held it all with the weight and seriousness and attention it deserves? The news cycle, yes. The flagrant and wanton immorality of our leaders? Yes. The overwhelming sense that this is not how it should be? Yes.
And,
These lilies. Winter sun at its weary slant. The way light only skims along each dip and ridge of the flower’s petals. Do they contain their own light? Each petal a pool of spilled milk. The way shadows prowl along every sunlit edge, an ecstatic chiaroscuro.
Yes. Also this.
