MICHAEL LYONS

Violet
 

Michael painted this charming little violet from a black and white photograph. Despite having no colour references he's managed to create a very convincing illustration. It has a lovely, old-fashioned feel to it... maybe it's the violet, an old-fashioned favorite?

This painting is a perfect example of how important "negative spaces" are to a composition... those shapes in a drawing or painting that are created by what isn't there. That little white flame shape at the centre of the leaf is such an intrinsic part of what makes this painting so satisfying. Use your finger to block it out and you'll see what I mean.