Shawn Adair

Inspiration for the Flower Series

These watercolors grew out of the same visual language as the Flower constructions: the simple circle-and-line flower forms I first encountered while working with young children, combined with my interest in Byzantine icons.

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Unlike the assemblages, however, these works are quieter and more intimate. Their small scale, transparent watercolor, and restrained use of gold shift the emphasis away from physical construction and toward image, color, and presence.

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Each piece is painted in watercolor on paper with gold oil-paint accents and measures 5 × 7 inches. The gold provides a subtle connection to icon painting, while the watercolor gives the series a delicacy and immediacy that is distinct from the more materially dense constructions.