Distressed Orchid 1
18x24"
Watercolor, Charcoal
 
A single stem rises from a wrinkled, fragile background. A cluster of orchids rendered in hot oranges and reds, outlined with urgent, gestural Charcoal, give the flower a sense of motion, as if it were trembling or breathing.
 
Each bloom appears slightly warped, compressed by its proximity to the others, suggesting survival through adaptation. The creased surface beneath them reads like skin or paper that has been handled too often—marked by time and carelessness.
 
In Distressed Orchid 1, the flower does not feign elegance; it holds itself upright despite the evidence of wear.