{"id":1210,"date":"2020-06-22T20:08:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T20:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sarahpereakane.com\/?p=1210"},"modified":"2020-07-27T12:20:11","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T12:20:11","slug":"where-the-idea-came-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sarahpereakane.com\/?p=1210","title":{"rendered":"Where the idea came from."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I’m not sure exactly when it first occurred to me, but the idea for this project has been in the back of my mind for some time now, and I do have a clearer memory of the places and people who shaped it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first flower shop job, in 2016, was at Fleurant in Kennebunk, ME. Melissa gave me the job with no prior experience, apart from my art school degree — she herself had studied sculpture at MECA and trained me in her own intuitive approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I began bringing flowers home to paint, often. And curiously studied the way other designers use flowers like brushstrokes, so that their hand and eye are present in the arrangement as a whole. When I moved to Brooklyn, I worked at a few shops including Opalia where I gathered more technical knowledge and saw how even in the city you can get local flowers from nearby Long Island and Hudson Valley farms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in Maine, I began growing my own flowers. Sometimes the mass-produced flowers from the market were so uniform that, though beautiful, they became less interesting to me. Then last summer, I had the opportunity to work for Carolyn Snell, a local flower grower and designer. Flower farming is both more intricate and imprecise than I imagined. Some crops, like dahlias, need rigorous attention while others, like amaranth, are quite happy to outcompete weeds. Ultimately, flowers want to grow. And Carolyn grows them spectacularly, with such joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While working there I thought about the parallels between painting and floral design and the creative work that goes into farming. It was while harvesting in the fields that I continued to turn over this idea in my mind, and solidify a daydream into a real plan. I had been painting my own arrangements, and certainly absorbing others’ stylistic influences. I love the way Maine flower growers and designers lift each other up more than they compete. I feel compelled to explore further, trying to translate their design work into my own paintings, and learning more through this visual conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Painted partially plein air in the back field at Snell Farm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Towards the end of the season, I painted these flowers as they dried in place.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This was painted in the dead of winter from photos. The orange marigolds are a recurring theme!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m not sure exactly when it first occurred to me, but the idea for this project has been in the back of my mind for some time now, and I do have a clearer memory of the places and people who shaped it. My first flower shop job, in 2016, was at Fleurant in Kennebunk, … <\/p>\n

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