Artist Statement:
In early spring, native violets are among the first flowers blooming at Homer Watson House & Gallery. They are also welcome early bloomers at my home in the Niagara Escarpment. Violets were a favourite subject for Phoebe Watson, who painted them on plates, teacups, candy dishes, vases as well as on individually painted watercolour invitations.
For my vase, I chose the stems of another early bloomer, the often-maligned dandelion, to twine around sections of English ivy vine. I hand painted silk organza to create the delicate flowers, cut and shaped silk dupioni for the leaves, then wired and hand wrapped them together with thread into a garland, so that they seem to grow out from the vase.