“Poppies” Acrylic

This acrylic painting presents a close-up bouquet rendered with vigorous brushwork and saturated color. Four blooms dominate the composition, their petals looping in vibrant reds and pinks with dark centres anchoring the forms. I used thick, gestural strokes to build a tactile surface, while metallic highlights and glitter catch the light, adding shimmering facets to the petals and foliage. This painting was a turning point for me in my recovery from brain injury and using art to help still my noisey brain because I stopped trying to copy. I can’t copy because flicking my eyes back and forth make me feel nauseous so instead I just put the brush on the canvas and let my mood depict the flow of the picture. I stopped trying to be realistic and detailed. So in a way it was the start of my own style.
The dark background pushes the blossoms forward, establishing a dramatic, almost scarey presence.

The piece fuses a lush, energetic mood with a contemplative undercurrent, inviting viewers to experience the intensity of color, texture, and light. Themes of growth, resilience can be seen and the beauty of transformation—informed by my own personal journey—emerge through the layered technique and radiant surfaces.

It’s a very special painting for me.
It’s not about the subject but capturing the moment and a feeling.

I hope you love it as much as me.