Jan 2026: When Flower Kite Takes Flight: Rethinking Floral Still Life

In the above video, I’m showing Flower Kite 1 and Flower Kite 2 — two paintings that represent a deliberate departure from conventional floral still life. Rather than presenting flowers neatly arranged in a vase, I wanted to explore presenting floral compositions differently allowing light, playfulness, and abstraction to take centre stage.

This approach reflects an ongoing evolution in my practice, which began in early 2025, making new paintings that intentionally challenges traditional floral representation and invites viewers to look beyond the surface.

Letting Go of the Vase: Why Flower Kite?

When I titled these works Flower Kite, it wasn’t arbitrary. A kite suggests buoyancy, movement, and an openness. That struck me as a perfect metaphor for how I want to reimagine florals on the canvas.

Traditional still life often feels anchored — static, predictable, and almost decorative. In contrast, Flower Kite positions florals more like figures in motion, nudged by energy rather than confined by structure. It’s a conceptual shift that evokes feeling over representation — something many contemporary artists embrace to disrupt status quo floral narratives. For example, Georgia O’Keeffe’s radical simplification of flowers challenged traditional still-life depiction, emphasizing colour and form over literal detail.

Light and Playfulness in Practice

What you see in the video is not just paint on surface. It’s a visual dialogue about how compositional elements balance play and restraint. In these pieces — as throughout my wider floral series — I layer media in ways that invite the viewer to feel the movement rather than simply identify shapes.

This sense of play is something I’ve explored elsewhere on my site too. In earlier blog posts, like Floral Oil Paintings: Capturing the Beauty of Nature on Canvas, I talk about blending recognizable floral forms with a more imaginative interpretation — creating work that allows room for the viewer’s own perception to roam.

Context in Contemporary Floral Art

Abstract floral painting exists on a rich continuum. Artists like Emily Gernild blend classic still life with abstraction in ways that nod to historical painting traditions while asserting a contemporary voice. These dialogues matter to me because they remind us that flowers — as subject — are less about literal depiction and more about emotion, space, and perception.

This is not to reject floral tradition outright, but to allow it to breathe, evolve, and resonate with the world I’m trying to create in paint.

Availability & Shipping

Both Flower Kite 1 and Flower Kite 2 are available direct from my studio. Complementary shipping is included for UK buyers. For international shipping rates, please get in touch — I’d love to help you bring one of these works into your space.