Jan 2026: Floral Yellow — A Reflection on Colour & Form in Abstraction

I’ve always loved yellow, it’s my colour, you know what I mean? And it also feels like a little sunshine on canvas each time I use it!

When I was developing Floral Yellow, as part of my ongoing abstract floral series, I wanted to capture not just the shape of blooms but the energy that yellow embodies when applied: warmth and playful spontaneity.

You can view Floral Yellow and other works in my Abstract Florals series.

What Floral Yellow Says

In Floral Yellow, you’ll see echoes of flowers but with an expressive freedom that sidesteps traditional still life painting. The above video is a ‘work in progress’ recording of when I was making the painting. Here I’m adding some detail with blue pastel pencil to determine the form of each flower head. Movement, colour contrasts, material tensions leaves space for the viewers interpretation & hopefully to look beyond the literal form and into feeling.

This approach reflects my overall practice, which you can read about in my Creative Journal — where I explore studio thoughts, processes, and why abstraction is important to my painting practice.

Point of Interest for Abstract Floral Painting

Abstract florals sit at an interesting crossroads: they honor one of the oldest subjects in art while embracing modern abstraction. From mid-20th century experiments with colour to contemporary explorations of emotional form, artists have been dissolving and redefining floral motifs for decades. Floral Yellow sits within that living context — a tribute to tradition and innovation all at once. Here’s an overview of how flowers appear across movements like Impressionism, Fauvism, and Abstract Expressionism.

Thanks for reading,

Aisling