These are a few of my favorite things about spring- those first few lunches spent outdoors with friends, going coatless for the first time in months, glowing cheeks from sunshine + wind, tulips on the windowsill.

Are there any moments more idyllic than those experienced in spring? - b.

Last weekend I went to my very first flower show, and it just happens to be one of the biggest and oldest in the world- the Philadelphia Flower Show. I’ve been hearing about it for awhile now and when tickets fell into our lap at the very last minute I couldn’t resist going. It’s like a amusement park for gardeners and this years’ theme played right into that generalization. “In the Movies” was sponsored by Disney and Pixar so you can imagine the over the top, child-friendly vignettes that came out of it. Two of my favorites were the Parent Trap and Mary Poppins, with their vibrant blooms and seasonal flair for bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and crocuses.

Sadly the event was over crowded and I didn’t get as many photos as I would have liked, but I did leave feeling inspired for spring. Here are a few images of the gorgeous flowers on display this year:

After we left Ryan and I decided it might be worth taking a day off next year to spend a little more time at the flower show, and hopefully miss some of the overwhelming crowds that come on the weekends. It was still worth the visit, without a doubt. I wonder what next years’ theme will be? - b.

As we enter the final (hopefully) days of winter I've been spending my captivity on something very exciting, new artwork! I've somehow found myself with a gallery show in mid-May and I have lots to do. Too much to do.

I've always worked best under pressure, in my art school days I'd wait until 2-3 days before a huge project was due to get started. And it seems not much has changed. All of the initial painting has to be done by mid-April and I'm just now getting started. 5 weeks to complete 6-10 paintings. No big deal right? It could definitely be worse.

I’ve been inspired to go back to my artistic roots somewhat with this latest series, back to my multi-media roots that is. Each painting in the series is actually made up of a series of paintings that have then been disassembled (cut up) and then reassembled into something new. Collage has long been a part of my artistic repertoire, and my work in the last 2+ years has been sorely missing this piecemeal approach to composition. I so love getting elbow deep into creating again, but don’t worry I haven’t abandoned my floral pursuits. As you see above- its still all about flowers for me. - b.