Debbie Mackinnon’s latest collection of works In Bloom represents a new direction in her practice. In these paintings, Debbie zooms in to focus her attention on the colours, textures and patterns of lush gardens and floral arrangements. Known for her energetic, sweeping landscapes, Debbie applies her distinctive painting style to this more intimate subject matter, celebrating the beauty and symbolism of these simple forms.

Sharing her thoughts about the collection, Debbie says, “flowers simply bring me joy. I love their fleeting beauty, that heady scent of blossoms, the way they bring nature into my home and life. My love of painting landscapes has led me to walk and draw in gardens, where I can be lost in deep shade, peering into a pond and watching light flicker across the leaves. In my mind this is a ‘floral landscape’. I even approach painting cut flowers in a vase as an interior landscape. My paintings contain multiple moments and perspectives, including a lot of time.”

Revealing her deeply poetic sensibility, she goes on to say, “flowers remind us that life is beautiful yet fleeting; nothing is static, buds open and unfurl revealing the bloom within; leaves move in the breeze and petals fall as the flower begins to fade. Watching flowers is like observing the circle of life. Their transitory nature means I have to look hard and draw fast, finding my own moments of joy as things change before me.”

Artwork location: Sydney 

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