I was mentor to a young student who was born in Russia, now a Canadian. She is saddened by the Russia/Ukraine conflict, as I am sure we all are.
I had painted a chamomile flower (Russia) and a sunflower (Ukraine) flanking a lily (peace). The flowers were separated. We talked about how to engage the emblems such that peace could dominate.
This inspired me to create this watercolour. I had completed an acrylic painting earlier, which started as a three-tier composition at the base of which was hell and damnation, with Charon steering people across the river Styx, to the higher level of enlightenment and peace and tranquility. I believe there is much more to this painting than I imagined. I am considering a background to illustrate a peaceful landscape, or perhaps an enchanted landscape, similar to the background to “Conflict to Hope”. The base of the painting describes the atrocities of war which I now believe has to be more defined and distinct.
The flag of Ukraine has a bright blue top, representing the sky, and a yellow base, representing Sunflowers, which is why I chose those colours as background.