Contemporary Romanticism: And Why I Paint Flowers
Contemporary Romanticism: And Why I Paint Flowers
There has been a consistent question among students at the Milan Art Academy -
How do I describe what I'm trying to paint? How do I describe my style?
I don’t just paint flowers, it’s not exactly realism (my husband paints that), it’s not impressionism really either. I do however like to include some abstracts in my collections -
Most paintings begin with a flowers from my own garden, yet what I'm really trying to capture isn't the flower itself—it's the feeling it gives me.
The moment when early morning light catches a petal.
The quiet joy of carrying an armful of dahlias into the house.
The reminder that beauty is often waiting in the ordinary if we'll simply slow down long enough to notice it.
I've believe the closest description of my art is Contemporary Romanticism.
Looking Back
During the Romantic movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, artists began pushing back against a world that was becoming increasingly focused on reason, industry, and efficiency. They celebrated emotion.
Wonder. Nature. The sublime. They believed beauty had the power to move the human soul.
While many Romantic painters became known for dramatic landscapes and storms, others found that same sense of awe in quieter subjects. Floral painter Henri Fantin-Latour created luminous bouquets that feel almost reverent. His flowers aren't merely botanical studies—they invite us to linger, to appreciate their fleeting beauty, and to experience a moment of stillness, just pause….
That idea resonates deeply with me.
Long before I had a name for my artistic style, I found myself returning to the same thought over and over – what if people could just pause to see the beauty, to revel in it: what if we intentionally romanced the day-to-day?
Not in the sense of pretending life is perfect, but in choosing to notice the beauty that already exists within it.
A vase of flowers gathered from the garden.
Morning light spilling across the kitchen table.
The crust on fresh bread cooling on the counter.
The sound of my Berner deep breathing while she naps next to me.
My sweet grandbaby wanting to pick flowers for her mama.
These moments are easy to overlook because they happen every day. Yet, they're often the moments we remember years later. I always tell my husband, it’s the little things that make memories.
That is what I hope my paintings encourage.
A pause.
Linger.
See God's extraordinary creativity expressed in ordinary places.
To romanticize—not by inventing beauty—but by paying attention to the beauty that has been there all along.
That is what Contemporary Romanticism means to me.
Bringing Romanticism Into Today
Our lives today are faster than ever.
Phones buzz.
Emails pile up.
News never stops.
It's easy to move through an entire day without really seeing it.
That's why I paint flowers.
Not because flowers are decorative.
Because they ask us to pause.
They remind us that beauty isn't something reserved for vacations or grand adventures. It's growing beside the driveway. It's blooming outside the kitchen window. It's sitting in a mason jar on the counter while dinner cooks.
Those ordinary moments deserve to be noticed.
Why My Flowers Are Bold
People sometimes ask why my paintings are so colorful.
Why the oversized blooms?
Why the vibrant pinks, oranges, teals, and gold?
Because that's how beauty feels to me, it’s not muted or timid.
Joy has color. Hope has color. Creation is extravagant.
If anything, nature is more generous with color than we often give it credit for.
More Than Flowers
When someone purchases one of my paintings, I hope they're bringing home more than artwork.
I hope they're bringing home a reminder.
To slow down. To notice. To take a moment.
To romance the day-to-day. Take a moment to smell the flowers, remember the smile when your little looks up at you, pause long enough to note how good dinner smells, *kiss with intention, hold hands like you mean it.
Beauty changes us.
Every time I step into my garden with a pair of clippers and a bucket, I'm reminded that the Creator filled this world with countless small miracles that most of us hurry past.
My paintings are simply my invitation to pause and see them.
Perhaps that's what Contemporary Romanticism means to me: not escaping reality, but discovering that reality is already more beautiful than we often realize.
