The story of the painting, Rhapsody of Roses, by Steve Henderson at Start Your Week with Steve.

Rhapsody of Roses is a floral song of exuberant joy, capturing color and form against a soft setting of light against textile. The roses themselves, in various stages of emergence, burst forth in silent song, a reminder to us that nature speaks, and sings, and teaches.

Flowers are a reminder of both the beauty and fleetingness of life. Rhapsody of Roses, original oil painting by Steve Henderson

We forget this, surrounded by a modern life of buildings, sidewalks, and man-made creations. And while the things that man creates can be beautiful, their beauty derives from the natural world around them: the stateliness of a skyscraper reminds us of a giant forest tree; the undulating lines of a fountain follow the seemingly random shapes within a field of flowers and bushes.

The more we stay inside, and the more we insulate ourselves from the outside world of nature, the more important it is that we remain connected to it, because the outside world — this place of flora and fauna, of sunlight and breeze, of clouds and rain — binds us to a reality beyond, and better than, spreadsheets and growth charts and stock options and commerce.

The sky is a free gift to all of us, as is the air that we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, but when we step too far away from the reality of real — living, breathing life and nature — we absorb ourselves in the pursuit of profit and the worship of all things technological. Flowers are a reminder that life is meant to be beautiful, but it is also short — and if we do not take time to, literally, stop and smell and appreciate the flowers, we will miss out on the things that really matter.

Read the rest — Steve’s art at AllPosters.com, Happy New Year, at Start Your Week with Steve.

Rhapsody of Roses is an original oil painting, 18 x 36, by Steve Henderson.

See all of Steve’s original paintings at his website, Steve Henderson Fine Art. Steve also licenses his work, and makes it available in a number of online retail stores.

Manufacturers, to license Steve’s work on your products, contact Carolyn@SteveHendersonFineArt.com, or Steve’s agents at Art Licensing International.