For the Love of Succulents Painting

When we moved from the East Coast to Seattle 10 years ago, I was surprised at how different the Pacific Northwest flora is compared to what I saw growing up in New England and living in the Mid-Atlantic. Rhododendrons are not small shrubs, they are trees that grow a story or more high. Rosemary grows almost wild and into giant shrubs four feet high and five feet wide. Informal fennel fences peep up in surprising places. Crocuses and quince start peeping their colorful blooms in early February. One of the things that surprised me the most is the popularity of succulents. These tiny, tender plants grow easily in the northwest climate and many people have them as part of their rockeries and garden walls. At first I was underwhelmed by these little plants–their colors were muted, their size small compared to some of the showiness of other PNW plants that thrive in this rainy clime. But over the years, I’ve come to love these gentle little gems of plants. They seem a sign of a healthy garden that’s loved on and well-tended. Their gentle violets, pinks, aqua blue, light and mossy green colors are their own bouquet. This work of joy celebrates those sweet gentle plants that remind us to love the small, well-tended gardens, as well as the big raucous ones. “For the Love of Succulents" is an acrylic painting on gallery-wrapped canvas that measures 12" x 12" – it comes wired and ready to hang in your home or office.