Peonies with Feathers and Gold

Oil on canvas | 100cm × 80cm | 2023

This painting was something of an experiment for me. Painted the same year as Pearl and Rose Glow, and sold to the same collector, it was my chance to step away from strict realism and let in a little whimsy and fantasy.

Peonies are one of my favourite flowers to paint. Their petals have this voluminous, feather like quality, and a slight translucency that I find endlessly interesting to capture, especially in lighter colours, where the shadows hold so much unexpected colour within them.

Here I let that love of light and shadow push further than usual, with golden, feather like foliage and a deep, saturated blue background that gives the whole piece a striking, almost otherworldly presence. It was an ambitious painting, more layered and complex than most pieces I take on, but one of the most enjoyable I have painted. It remains one of my favourites to this day.

If you like the look of this piece or are looking for a peony painting please have a look at Angel Peony. Or please contact me if you want to order a custom commissioned painting.