abstracted still life floral

still life set up

It's funny where inspiration comes from. Last week I had set up some hydrangea still life to paint but couldn't really get into it. I love the flowers, but I felt bored with the same old same old approach I was using. 
 This morning I spent 20 minutes enjoying myself looking at the beautiful paintings of Edward Vuillard; that master of design, one of the Nabis movement of painters. He was a decorative painter, but contemporary in his time...I especially love the arrangement of light effects in his work.  

Vuillard

After a while looking at the one posted here, I felt inspired to try the hydrangea still life again, though on a larger canvas and change it up with my method of approach. Working from my 'stage' I am painting over an older work, using it as a ground for the new...I'm working with rags and paint spreaders, hardly a brush in sight for the lay in of tones...kind of liking the first stage...curious to see if I can find a happy balance between what I see and what I want to see.