STORY BEHIND THE ART OF TOMOKO OGAWA

18th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at The Horticultural Society of New York

Absalon Tulip

Tulipa ‘Absalon’

I love Rory McEwen’s tulip paintings. It is why every spring I paint tulips, especially ones with streaks and stripes of color.

I took two springs to finish this painting. These tulips continue to bloom for a week. The flower grows bigger and bigger day by day. I think the most beautiful, dramatic, and gorgeous moment of the tulip is when the petals open suddenly for a day or two at the brink of scattering. It is difficult for me to determine the best moment to paint them, because I cannot know when the petals will scatter. In the first year, I could not wait for the best timing to paint the first and second tulips. So I bought new bulbs and grew them, and then added in the third tulip the next year.

To tell the truth, I was not satisfied completely with my third one. I should have waited for one more day - it would have been much more gorgeous if I could have! I keep painting tulips every spring to capture their best moment.

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Read more about this artist's work: 17th Annual International