Floral Paintings

The Form in Nancy’s Floral Paintings

Nancy’s floral painting collectors seem to appreciate her process as much as they admire her colorful blossoms. In fact, her vibrant florals have become so popular with her collectors that husband and business manager Steve Cawdrey decided to make them available in puzzles as well. Her floral puzzles are available here.

“I try NOT to paint pretty florals but rather zero in on the wonderful forms of iris, poppies, and peonies, all of which grow in my garden. I like them in all their different stages of development: when a poppy bud splits and shows its cadmium red promise, when peonies have bloomed and faded, and the fascinating seed pods that emerge from the spent blossom.

Iris are a particular favorite, and I have painted my own varieties and some old-fashioned iris varieties that remind people of their grandmother’s garden. When I was a child I loved to be up close and personal with flowers – I often had pollen on my nose. My earliest memories are walking through fields of tomato red anemones in Amman, Jordan. I was small – so I was in over my head with red! That feeling has never left me, and red is most definitely my favorite color. Working on a long horizontal commissioned piece of peonies, I had to try to find more “red” in the varieties – I just couldn’t help myself. If I can’t paint red into the flowers, I put some in the background.

Sunflowers and sweet-peas are flowers I like to capture in my work, and the patterned borders in these pieces really appeal to collectors.” – Nancy Cawdrey

In addition to her iris and sunflower paintings, Nancy is also very well known for her stunning red poppies. Please call the gallery if you’re interested in commissioning Nancy to paint your favorite flower.