I love returning to my Chairs Series because they are a unified portrait of my progression as an artist. The series is comprised of over one hundred and thirty pieces. The challenge lies in the background design; every painting the shapes and colors work together in harmony. The type of chair is different. Every shape is woven together like a quilt, creating a harmonic composition. I do not paint from a photograph. Every painting in this series evolves as I play with the design and colors — I do not know the outcome until I put the last brushstroke on. It is always a wonderful surprise!

In this vertical design, I painted the chairs first and then the hollyhocks on the left. I set it aside for a year and thought about the finish and what interesting elements to add to it. After deciding on the bluebirds, I realized this motif was also done in an earlier collage of mine. The title “Renewal” is significant because last year was difficult with many health issues and I wanted to move on in a positive manner.