Bird of Paradise by Derek McCrea

Photo © Derek McCrea

"Bird of Paradise" by Derek McCrea

From the Painting Guide: Not providing an artist's statement disqualifies your painting from the project gallery, but I'm making an exception to the rule because I'm very partial to strelitzias and because of the very busy background which almost overwhelms the flower itself. The latter led to an interesting conversation with a friend about whether in a portrait the subject ought to stand out sharply as the center of attention or be surrounded by context. In this case it's vegetation, but in the case of a person it could be objects from their life or living environment.

One of my all-time favorite portraits in National Portrait Gallery in London is one of the playwright Harold Pinter where there's a huge pile of books/screenplays behind him. Even if you don't know who the person portrayed is, the books give you a clue as to what was significant in his life.

So with a flower, does the environment in which it grows add to its beauty, especially a flower we don't automatically associate with flower arrangements in vases? Or does it detract from the beauty and shape of the flower? In this specific painting, I think the oranges and blues in the strelitzia aren't intense enough; they remind me of a faded bloom rather than one in its prime. But that's my preferences showing, rather than what the artist may have intended.