I love cherry blossom time, Ohanami. I used to teach ESL to Japanese students, and I learned from them about this wonderful festival. I also learned to decorate my house at cherry blossom time, and I planted my own cherry blossom tree. What is it about the cherry blossoms? It is their beauty and how ephemeral it is. Much like life itself, we must catch hold and enjoy, in the fleeting moments we can. Particularly poignant for me, is the jacket I painted on the woman under the cherry blossom tree. It was my mother's Chinese jacket, and I remember seeing her, looking as radiantly beautiful as a cherry blossom tree in full bloom, when she wore it. Now, like the cherry blossoms, she is gone. But in this painting, remembered and cherished by me.
This painting was inspired by the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Museum. I loved seeing all the beautiful orchids, as well as all the beautiful women, many in floral costume, including myself.
I've always loved the 1920's. I remember learning the Charleston in a social dancing group when I was 13. It was such fun, and I felt like a natural. And a friend I used to trade things with, her parents were auctioneers, so she had great stuff, traded me a beaded 1920's bag, for, I'm afraid something not worth the trade. I still have that deep blue bag and I often wonder what stories it could tell. Speaking of blue, the whole time I was painting this mysterious lady, the song, "Little Blusette" was playing in my head. No doubt, she is sad, having probably been jilted by a 1920's cad.
I love birds!! And my birdfeeder is a big hit this year. Every color, size and shape, they have been appearing and going to town on the goodies. They are territorial, and fight each other out of position. Then they also have to look out for the squirrels who like the birdseed too, and we have a neighbor cat, Mr. Sylvester, who likes to position himself where he has a bird's eye view of the yummies, I mean the birds. The bird in my painting, was wary of all this. On his guard. Here is what he looked like in New Jersey, though my painting transports him to Paradise. And since it's Paradise, I guess he doesn't have to worry about a thing.
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