Collection: Poinsettia Gazing

I was inspired to create this collection by the Peony Gazing collection I released earlier this year. That was fun, so I wanted to do a holiday version. In the language of flowers poinsettias represent good cheer and seem like a good pair for ye' ol' La Joconde as the French call her.

The moment that was the most exciting was realizing I could turn the background trees in to evergreen trees. This was an effort to put her more in a scene. I still imagine her in a garden center with poinsettias...I guess that's just where I see them in such abundance and where reference photos seemed to be taken. 

Left unchecked I might take myself entirely too seriously. Making these paintings helps me see the lightness and humor in the world and in art.

One of the things I love about art is that, in a way, it’s all about hype, and it's the good kind. The kind that comes from genuine excitement. I think about the small work on paper I bought from an artist I admire. I snagged it the moment it dropped, not because anyone told me to, but because I believed it was special. Even if someone else looked at it and said, “A kid could make that,” it wouldn’t matter. I saw the value. I felt the spark. I was willing to sit at my computer for 5 minutes watching the clock before they went on sale.

That same dynamic is part of why I like  the Mona Lisa. Not just the painting itself, but the energy around it — the crowds gathering (!!!), everyone craning their necks, holding up phones, queuing to get their own moment with her. It’s this massive, collective agreement that she is something is worth seeing. That shared value turns her into the most visited painting in the world.

And at the same time, the Mona Lisa exists in this funny paradox: she’s priceless… yet also printed on cheap things like postcards, magnets, T-shirts, and keychains. She’s both untouchable and everywhere. Iconic and accessible. It makes her feel both grand and a little bit playful — which is part of what inspired this collection.