Garden Delights

During the Golden Age in the Netherlands, tulip bulbs fetched extraordinary prices in a market bubble called “tulipmania.

- John O'hern

” Tulips had been introduced in the late 16th century and featured prominently in the lush floral still lifes of the Dutch masters. The bubble collapsed but tulips continued to fascinate artists, gardeners and other lovers of beauty. Cut tulips have a life of their own, often growing an inch after being cut and, being phototropic, arcing toward the light.

Larry Preston is a lover of beauty. He says, unapologetically, “I do not paint to be relevant, for an audience or make any statement other than the beauty to be found in the objects I choose to paint. If the viewer chooses to attach some meaning to my work, that would be their prerogative. I find that, in this modern world, there is too little observance of the beauty in our surroundings.”

In Tulips he pairs the flowers with an antique wooden clamp—the ephemeral with the long lasting. The simple beauty of the clamp’s worn, warm wood contrasts with the translucent pink tulip blossoms that show off

their subtleties in the bright raking light. Flowers in the allium genus also grow from bulbs and present globes of purple star-like blossoms. The genus also includes edible bulbs such as garlic, onions, leeks and chives.