Blossom at dusk

by Tiara Kroes

Deep layers of red, green, petrol blue and almost-black flow diagonally across the canvas, as if wind or rain were sweeping through it. Amidst them appear small pink flowers, loosely rendered with a few quick brushstrokes, each with a slender, drooping stem. They seem to be floating, falling or, conversely, rising; the work leaves that open to interpretation.

If you look more closely, you can see how much is happening beneath the surface. Orange and ochre-yellow light shimmers through the red; in the top right, the green opens up towards a lighter area; and around the flowers are swathes of soft white that give them a delicate sheen. The paint is applied in layers, with scratches and texture in the surface that you only really notice when the light falls at an angle.

The work came about intuitively, layer upon layer, without any preconceived plan. Nature is the undercurrent: the moment when a blossom falls, or a field loses its colour in the evening. At the same time, it is about something small that continues to give off light in a dark environment.

In an interior, this work brings warmth and depth. It complements dark or earthy walls, natural materials and spaces where you want to slow down, and it reveals something new with every glance.