As I like moon light pictures, I wanted to paint some flowers in the dark – maybe because they have a calming effect.

To get the shades right, I bought a bunch of Chrysanthemums in dark magenta which is about the colour of red cabbage. Then I prepared a canvas with dark blue, blue being the most favoured colour the world over. When this was dry I started putting the flowers on it with a brush. This is a bit like the way some of the old masters used to do it who painted on dark brown or black with brighter colours, like e.g. Rembrandt (1606-1669) or Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750).

I enjoyed doing this painting with a limited colour palette, especially with the moon light coming in from left. According to C.G. Jung, the moon is a symbol for the female system as it regulates their system just as it regulates the tides. It certainly makes for very calm and relaxing scenes.

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