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"After the Rain" Oil Painting by Simonne Roy, Available here

A Facebook friend commented that he thinks of Flanders fields and World War I when he sees my poppy paintings. I replied “Yes, joy and pain together.” For me, inspiration is often sparked by the collision of these contrasting emotions.

"Poppy Burst" Oil on canvas panel, 8 x 6"Available here

I was lucky to have these poppies to paint for about 10 days in May 2019. Watching this poppy field evolve from buds to blazing flowers then fade away over a short time reminded me of my own life zipping by at a pace that gets faster each year. Will I get to see this field again?

At the same time, I felt irrepressible joy about discovering these fields (across the river from Tours where I was living). I felt lucky just to be alive when I was in them. The stunning beauty of the colors, the buzz of the bees in the flowers, the tractors working in the vineyard nearby (not to mention the anticipation of my baguette and cheese sandwich for lunch) made for several unforgettable and perfect painting days.

One of my field days. Here I'm working on the painting "French Tradition"

Another contrast that provides inspiration is complimentary colors, colors on opposite sides of the color wheel that vibrate when laid over one another (yellow/purple, orange/blue, red/green). You can see how I layered red over green in the poppy series, and the excitement that creates.

"French Tradition" oil on canvas panel, 10 x 8" Available here

­­­­­­­­The use of complimentary colors and their vibrations was key to making the poppy paintings successful. There had to be contrast in the colors (red and green) to make the flowers "pop" because there was no contrast in the values (light and dark).  The red flowers were the same value as their green leaves and stems.

Do you see how the flowers "disappear" when color is removed?

Same scene on the right and left

Here’s another painting that uses the red/green vibration to convey the excitement of the scene:

"Exuberance" oil on canvas panel, 6 x 8" Available here

I can't resist colorful fields, contrasting colors, subjects that are fleeting. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to paint in France again and hope to return someday. 

I'm also grateful to have a circle of friends, family, and artists who cheer me on during these adventures, so I’ll mention one last contrast - the contrast between being alone (to paint) and being with you to share the work. Your reaction to the paintings is another source of inspiration.

If you feel so inclined, please post a comment telling me what contrasts inspire you. It doesn’t have to be about art – how about hot coffee with ice cream?

Painting "Poppy Burst"