Gay Head Lily

This is another that was inspired…
insisted upon is more like it…by Ted.

He asked me three years ago if I had ever seen the Gay Head Lily
and wasn’t satisfied with my answer
so he took me on an adventure one afternoon
over to a field out back of a friends house
where they were blooming by the acre.

He found the perfect specimen…

And insisted on holding it so I could see all sides…

We chat once or twice a week
more when I’m on island
and every single time
he has asked me if I have painted that lily yet.

I was originally going to paint him holding it
pretty much just as you see above.

But it wasn’t working for me
until I decided to turn it on its trompe l’oueille head.

I wanted to tie it into the other paintings this year
which feature those beach stones
and you get the idea.

It was fun to paint
but not as much fun as the phone call telling him it was finally finished.

We’ll see you in less than a week now Ted…
(the show opening is on his 96th birthday).

Now that’s sorta fun.