This painting pays homage to my husband Tim's and my history as a couple, that is deeply woven with flowers, gardens, farming, horticulture, and last but not least, selling flowers at the farmer's market.

Tim and I initially met at Iowa State University where we both received a B.S. in Horticulture.

Our first few years as a couple were spent working in the horticulture industry in the Chicago suburbs.  Not too long into our first year of marriage,  we traded our city life in Evanston, Illinois, for a farm life in Mount Ayr, Iowa (Tim's family farm) where we started a cut flower farm and sold our bouquets at the Des Moines Farmers Market, to regional florists, and grocery stores like Whole Foods Market.) 

In 2007, we decided to move closer to my side of the family in the Quad Cities.  The move was tough, saying goodbye to family and friends is never easy, and switching from farm life back to city life was hard....but we managed to bring many of the flowers from our flower farm to our new home....many of which are still alive today!

FAST FORWARD TO 2020: While 2020 was a very hard year in so many ways, I enjoyed the time to slow down, and be able to paint the flowers in my garden.  The flowers featured in this original watercolor painting are all ones picked from around our garden, arranged by me in a vase on our old farmer's market table where so many memories have been made.

Throughout the summer in 2020, there were many mornings that I would set up that table, early, just like my days at the farmer's market, make a bouquet, and start painting.