When I named this painting "Peony's Quiet Grandeur", it was with a sense of reverence I hadn't always felt for these beautiful blooms. Growing up in Europe, peonies were so wonderfully common, gracing almost every village garden. They were lovely, of course, but familiar. It was only when I moved to Australia that their true preciousness struck me. Here, due to the climate, they are more of a rare treasure, and I noticed how deeply people cherished them when their fleeting season arrived.

This shift in my own perception led me to truly see peonies for the first time. I brought them into my studio, studying them intensely through the lens of my camera. In the close-ups, a whole new world revealed itself: the cloudy softness of their form, their incredibly gentle and feminine nature, the almost unbelievable delicacy of their semitransparent petals. But what truly captivated me, what sparked the artistic challenge, was the heart of the flower. I saw an almost sacred, intimate space within, an inner glow of soft orange and pink light. My mission became to not just paint a peony, but to capture and showcase this delicate, luminous soul from within.

This artistic journey culminated in "Peony's Quiet Grandeur" The choice of a massive 180x120cm oil canvas was entirely deliberate. I knew that only a scale this grand could truly allow you, the viewer, to almost descend into that incredible softness and cloudiness I discovered in the peonies – an immersive experience of their gentle essence that simply isn't possible on a smaller scale. On this expansive surface, my exploration comes to life. The first peony, with its warm, inviting glow, embodies that intimate discovery of their hidden light. The second, a serene white bloom, often felt to me like a gentle white dove floating in the sky above its companion. I imagined that where their petals touch, an inner dialogue begins, a silent, magical connection that speaks of tenderness and shared beauty.
 
As I painted them, I was constantly enveloped by a feeling of lightness, an airiness and profound delicateness that I've endeavoured to infuse into every brushstroke. The soft blue background was chosen specifically to enhance this ethereal atmosphere, allowing these magnificent, grand flowers to almost float in a serene, quiet space. Capturing this specific essence, especially achieving that delicate transparency and nuanced light on such a large scale, took a great many dedicated hours of meticulous work. But looking at the finished piece, I am so deeply happy with that time spent, because I feel I’ve ultimately achieved the luminous, gentle world I initially envisioned for them – that very specific aura I hoped to convey.
 
"Peony's Quiet Grandeur" is more than a painting to me; it's a reflection of this personal journey with peonies – from familiar bloom to treasured muse. It’s my attempt to share the sacred, gentle magic I discovered, a magic I hope touches you too!