"We have got to get ourselves back to the Garden" - Joni Mitchell

As promised I am posting a couple of single flower renderings. The Sweet Pea is my favorite flower among favorites. My father grew the sweet pea flower. He was a farmer so he always had a garden but really never got to tend it until he was retired and that is when I especially remember the sweet pea flowers growing most of the summer. I think he planted them for my mother. This flower has a long history with our family. As lore would have it, back in the '30's, my mother's family grew Sweet Peas and sold them in the village for weddings and such. The Sweet Pea is known as Bride's Blessing and should always be present at weddings. They are good omens for brides. That is according to a flower book I have, The Meaning of Flowers.

There is nothing more spectacular to me than a bouquet of Sweet Peas in a white ironstone pitcher or any jar or vase. Its all about the rainbow of blended colors! When I first started painting, I found myself painting sweet peas. Like the teacups, it was something I kept revisiting with pleasure. It brought my father into the mix because I associated him with that flower. Here are a couple of those first paintings of Sweet Peas.


And finally, a third one - I do know where these originals are and am happy about that. A former neighbor has the first, a relative the second and a very true friend of mine has the the one on the right. Prints are available. You just have to inquire.

Email address: vermonthart@hotmail.com