When Dreams Come Blue

For me, hydrangeas represent new beginnings. This dramatically lit Nikko Blue mophead was painted from an edited reference taken in my own backyard from a shrub I planted for my garden wedding 24 years ago. It is rendered with soft pastels on a sanded panel. Pastels use a dry binder with pure pigment. As the color pigments are pulverized minerals, their microscopic fragments catch the light and appear to glow. It is finished with a black molded frame and Tru-Vue Museum Glass.