Oil Painting

This piece is an exploration of color saturation and tactile depth. Working in oil allows for rich, luminous layering — the vivid turquoise and cerulean background was likely built up in translucent glazes, creating that glowing, almost underwater quality of light passing through water. The flowers themselves are rendered with heavy impasto, applied with a palette knife and brush work to build genuine physical texture into the canvas surface. Each bloom carries thick ridges and swirls of paint that catch real light, giving the petals a sculptural, almost three-dimensional presence rather than a flat painted illusion.

This technique lets the artist work intuitively — dragging, layering, and twisting the paint to mimic the organic, ruffled structure of chrysanthemums and peonies without over-defining every petal. Compositionally, the flowers seem to drift diagonally across the canvas, some sharply in focus, others dissolving into soft blurs at the edges, a deliberate play with depth of field that draws the eye toward the central cluster while letting the peripheral blooms feel weightless, almost floating. The palette is intentionally cool and immersive, using blue as an unconventional ground for florals to evoke calm, mystery, and a slightly surreal, dreamlike atmosphere, pushing the subject beyond decorative floral painting into something more emotional and abstract.

Shadi Motahari is a self taught artist whose work bridges realism and surrealism to explore profound cultural and natural themes. Utilizing intricate multi layered techniques and bold color contrasts, her paintings create resonant narratives that capture the essence of the human spirit.

NOTE: The 1st image shows the full painting, with the following images showcasing closeups of the artwork, detailing the work done by the artist.

Painting is signed by the artist.

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Bloom In Blue