If you have the opportunity to travel this summer, the world offers a banquet of amazing sights and scenes. Many times we do not have to venture more than a few hours to see something beautiful, historic or inspirational. On my trips to Europe through the years, I have had the joy of spending many days in Italy. Studying art history, or just taking in the culture and stories that date back thousands of years.
However, the most profound experience I had as a young student was when I was eighteen. I traveled to England situated in the countryside outside of London to study literature. Every tiny home had flower boxes in their windows overflowing with lovely colorful blooms. I immediately felt drawn into this generous display of love and care for the human spirit.
For some reason, flowers are so much more obvious to this Texas gal when I leave my home state. Yes, we have our iconic wildflowers, but in the villages, tiny alleys and streets of Europe, the locals seem to go to extraordinary lengths to create floral displays rarely found in Texas. Flower markets offer a chance to soak in these beautiful reminders that color and shape can inspire artists—and anyone willing to see the world through new eyes. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” Why do we only give flowers on Mother’s Day and birthdays? Flowers celebrate each day of life.
The photos above were taken in a village in the Umbrian region of Italy. Flowing over balconies and offering a path through the cobblestone, they were breathtaking. I am hoping that you will rethink the value of what flowers can bring to every occasion in your life. As an artist, I study so many of the greats who devoted their time to the study of flowers. Van Gogh spent months studying sunflowers, and the Dutch Masters painted detailed, realistic floral paintings.
My hope this summer is that we will stop and smell the roses. Not only to look at every detail of a flower but to realize they are something not to be overlooked along the way. Flowers are special reminders that beauty is obtainable to all of us to lift our spirits through unique color patterns and shapes and to bring an abundance of happiness.
Give me a single rose and I am amazed at the intricate shape. Give me a huge arrangement of exquisite design and I am humbled by the combination of color and texture.
Go out and buy a bouquet of flowers, pick an arrangement from your own garden or surprise someone with a beautiful bundle. You will never be disappointed. If we stop to ask ourselves, where have all the flowers gone? we may appreciate them even more.
Dreaming in roses,
Gay Gaddis
Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer.
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