FROM BLANK CANVAS TO BLOOM: How I Create My Abstract Floral Paintings

There’s a special kind of magic that happens between the moment I face a blank canvas and the moment a floral abstract finally begins to bloom. It’s a process that blends emotion, intuition, and a deep connection to nature - and today, I’m sharing exactly how each piece comes to life in my studio.

Starting With Emotion: Choosing the Colour Palette
Before any brush touches the canvas, I begin by tuning into how I’m feeling that day. My colour palette always comes from my current mood - whether I’m craving warmth, calm, energy or something soft and tender.

Sometimes I’m drawn to earthy neutrals that feel grounding. Other days I reach for vibrant pinks, rich greens or sunlit yellows that carry a sense of joy or movement. Letting emotion guide my palette ensures every painting begins with authenticity.

Colour sets the tone for everything that follows. It becomes the heart of the artwork long before any floral shapes appear.

Painting Intuitively: Letting My Hands Take Over
Once I’ve chosen my colours, the intuitive part of the process begins. I start laying down shapes, marks and layers without overthinking - allowing my hands and brush to move freely across the canvas. 

I am guided by my own personal memories. Every painting I create is a journey - one that often takes me back to moments of the times when I am out in nature enjoying days in the fresh air and warm sun. Memories of the smell of the salty ocean air when on summer holidays in our caravan, the sunlit rainforests that I love to explore in the more tropical regions - my favourite places. Even just walking the dogs around our local blue lake and forest areas. It is those simple, joyful moments exploring nature with family. Each colour, each brushstroke carries a whisper of those experiences.

For me, painting is not just about creating a beautiful image - it’s about capturing the feeling of being fully alive in those moments, the awe of nature, the laughter of travel, and the quiet joy of discovery.

These memories infuse my work with life, and I hope that when you look at my paintings, you feel a little of that adventure, calm, and wonder too.

This part of my painting process is where the abstract energy comes alive. I don’t plan every stroke; instead, I trust the flow. The rhythm of the brush, the organic shapes forming beneath it and the way colours interact all guide me forward.

In these early stages, the painting is raw and wild and I embrace that unpredictability. It’s in this freedom that the first hints of floral forms begin to emerge.

Stepping Back: Finding Balance and Harmony
As intuitive as my process is, I spend a lot of time stepping back from the canvas. I’ll paint for a few minutes, then pause, step back from the canvas and really look at what’s unfolding.

Colour balance is everything in abstract floral work
Is there too much warmth in one corner? Do the tones flow naturally from one area to the next? Does the composition feel harmonious?

These little check-ins allow me to shape the piece thoughtfully without losing the spontaneity that makes it feel alive. I go back and forth like this - paint, step back, adjust -until the colours feel balanced and the movement feels right.

Watching the Bloom Take Shape
Slowly, the painting transforms. What begins as pure emotion translated into colour becomes something more structured and expressive. The artwork if filled with moments and memories formed from a wandering spirit that is free and alive. I try to capture not just the floral scene, but the feeling—the heartbeat of those memories. Layers build depth, floral shapes become embedded in a mysterious, intriguing glow and the artwork starts to carry its own personality.

This moment - when a piece shifts from abstract markings to a story telling blooming form - is always my favourite. It’s the point when the artwork feels like it’s speaking back to me. Reminding me of past adventures and the happiness and freedom in these memories.

The Beauty of the Process
Every painting I create holds a small snapshot of who I was in the moment I made it:
my mood, my energy and the quiet dialogue between me and the canvas.

My process is fluid, intuitive and deeply personal - and I believe that’s what makes each piece unique. When someone brings one of my floral abstracts into their home, they’re not just buying a painting; they’re bringing in a story, a feeling and a captured moment in time.

If you’d love to see more behind-the-scenes moments or new paintings as they bloom, feel free to follow along on my Instagram or sign up to my mailing list to be the first to know of original releases and any promotions.