My Grandfather's Poppies by Rebecca Luncan

"My Grandfather’s Poppies" follows in the tradition of the “forest floor” style, a hybrid of still life and landscape invented by Dutch painter Otto Marseus van Schrieck in the 1600s. 

Like much of my work, this painting is inspired by my experiences as a child, and in particular things I shared with my dad. He instilled in me an interest in the creatures that live on my property. I greet them, cheer them on, and try to create an inviting habitat. I teach my son to pet the bees.

This painting pays tribute to my grandfather’s favorite flower, which my father and I followed him in growing. A poppy expresses several stages of life at once, with blooms bursting and fading as a succession of fireworks. From the blooms’ emergence to hardening into seed pods, to the texture of foliage, each element is at once individually beautiful and complementary.