Thanksgiving Flowers III – Square Canvas Print

Thanksgiving Flowers III is part of A Walk in the Wildflowers, a deeply personal exhibition by Helen Ansell inspired by the memories she shared with her father, Don Miller. This painting is one of three works created from the native flower arrangement displayed at Don’s funeral, preserving a moment that became an unexpected source of artistic inspiration.

The arrangement brings together a variety of Australian native flowers and foliage, including banksias (Banksia species), flowering wattles (Acacia species), paper daisies (tribe Gnaphalieae) and foliage from native shrubs and trees. Australian native flowers are widely admired for their distinctive forms and textures, and many species dry exceptionally well, retaining much of their structure and character long after they are picked. Helen has also included a Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), one of Australia’s most familiar native birds, bringing another element of the bush into the composition.

From Helen

I’ve always loved dried Australian native flower arrangements. Even after they’ve dried, they retain so much of their shape, texture and beauty, and I’ve often admired them as much as fresh flowers.

After Dad’s funeral, I kept the beautiful native arrangement from the service and it remained in my studio. Over time I found myself returning to it again and again, studying the colours, forms and textures. It became the inspiration for three new paintings, all featured in this exhibition, each exploring the arrangement in a different way.

Helen Ansell Fine Art Canvas Prints are available to purchase either stretched (gallery wrapped, ready to hang on the wall) or unstretched (with 9cm white border) ready for you to frame yourself.