Pansy 22 is one of a series of paintings created by artist, Laurie Koss, for her 2017 solo art show, Pansy. She has dedicated this painting to her friend Anne’s mother.
In Anne’s words:
“The inspiration behind renaming Pansy 22, “Helen’s Flower,” stems from a series of events I like to think of as kismet. I knew my neighbour and childhood friend, Laurie Koss, was working on a collection of pansy paintings after successfully launching her 2015 Canada Post pansy stamps.
I watched Laurie create pansy after pansy in different colours and varieties and was drawn into her creative process. It was around this time my mother, Helen, an artist herself, passed away from complications due to a stroke. Incidentally, she and Laurie had shared a love of art over the years.
My 95-year-old aunt remembered my mom as, “A little girl with huge blue eyes, the pale color of Maggie Mott pansies.” Upon investigating this pansy, I discovered it was exactly the one Laurie had just painted, so I purchased it, and now “Helen’s Flower” reminds me daily of my mom: her energy, resilience, creativity, and, of course, her beautiful eyes.”
All proceeds from the sale of these limited edition prints are donated to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.
