Heidi Says So

• Acrylic, pewter leaf, mixed medium
• An original
• Framed
• 95.5 x 65cms

Heidi Says So is named after one of my friend's lovely daughters. She's just seven, and Heidi loves to paint.

She was visiting our house, and I had a canvas started; I had the background done, but I was really stuck on what to paint. I had an orchid in front of me. I love all flowers, particularly orchids, and it was sitting there, and I just couldn't make the move from brush to canvas.

So Heidi came by with her father. Her father disappeared with my husband, probably to watch football, and Heidi and I both got the paints out. Heidi said, "Just do it, just start." She's seven; what a wise little girl. 

So this painting is named after Heidi, Heidi Says So. It's got rings of friendship in it; it has pewter leaf. I also used some actual leaves to create some of the colour flashes by flicking the paint off the leaf onto the canvas. The drips in this one are slightly unusual in that they're upside down, that’s because I actually preferred this painting’s composition when looking at it upside down - I felt it worked better this way. 

 You can see how there are abstract orchids that really jump out of the canvas. The pièce de résistance is the frame. To me, a piece is final when it's framed. That's the full package. The neon yellow is a stark juxtaposition against the deep purple, and then we have this very embellished black frame to set it all off. I love this piece. 

Heidi Says So is exactly what I needed that evening. From feeling stuck, I finished the piece feeling vibrant, energetic, and full of life. And that's what painting does for me. It brings me joy. And I hope Heidi Says So brings you as much joy as it brought me completing the piece.

Heidi Says So…for the originals.