Illustration
of a rustic wooden cross formed from rough, weathered brown branches,
centered against a textured teal-blue background. the cross is wrapped at its
intersection with a lush bouquet of pink and deep rose-colored roses and buds,
layered with soft green foliage. blue and violet butterflies flutter and rest
among the flowers and along the cross beams, adding gentle motion and contrast
to the floral arrangement. this artwork is titled “Flower Cross 2” and created
by artist Brigid Ashwood
Drifting
first into the contrast between the wood and the blooms. The cross rises from
rough, splintered branches, uneven in thickness and darkened by age, the
vertical beam extending higher than the horizontal with jagged, broken tips
that feel raw rather than refined. The bark shows shallow cracks and irregular
edges, its surface absorbing light instead of reflecting it, grounding the
composition with weight and history.
At
the center, the flowers take over. Roses cluster thickly around the crossing
point, their petals layered in soft, rounded spirals that move from pale blush
to deeper rose and wine tones. Some blooms are fully open, petals curling
outward in gentle arcs, while others remain partially closed, their shapes
tighter and more upright. Brushstrokes here are smoother and more fluid than
the wood, with pigment building gradually along petal edges to create depth. On
denim, these thicker petal edges settle into the twill and break slightly,
making the flowers feel touchable rather than painted flat. It matters because
softness is made physical.
Green
leaves weave between the roses, long and slightly curved, with darker greens
pooling near the stems and lighter highlights lifting along the veins. The
foliage does not sit behind the flowers; it threads through them, occasionally
slipping behind the wood and re-emerging, visually binding bloom and branch
together. The floral mass feels integrated with the cross, not placed atop it.
Then
come the butterflies, and the scene breathes. Several blue and violet
butterflies hover and pause at different heights around the cross. One rests
near the upper left of the flowers, wings angled open, while others float
lower, wings catching light in pale gradients that fade from icy blue to soft
lavender at the edges. Their bodies are small and dark, understated against the
wings’ translucence. On fabric, these lighter pigments lift first, catching
highlights as the surface moves. They matter because they introduce motion
without disturbance — presence without weight.
The
background holds steady in textured teal-blue, mottled with subtle tonal shifts
that suggest painted plaster or sky blurred by memory. It is neither landscape
nor void, simply space — allowing the cross, flowers, and butterflies to remain
the focus. The composition stays centered and vertical, reinforcing balance
even as organic elements soften the geometry.
On
stonewashed denim, the roses mellow first. Petal edges blur gently as
pigment spreads into the worn grain, and the bouquet feels fuller, more
atmospheric. The wood deepens in tone, its cracks and grain becoming more
pronounced as darker pigment settles into the weave. Butterflies soften into
the scene, their blues diffusing into gentle impressions. As the jacket moves,
light breaks unevenly across petals and bark, giving the impression of slow
breath and continuity.
On
white denim, clarity takes hold. Individual petals separate cleanly,
making the layered construction of each rose easy to follow. The contrast
between rough wood and smooth bloom sharpens, and the butterflies become crisp points
of motion. The teal background brightens, framing the cross with calm openness.
This clarity matters because it presents the image as present and intentional —
beauty seen clearly rather than remembered.
On
black denim, the artwork turns intimate and reverent. The roses glow
against the dark base, their pinks deepening into jewel tones, while the wood
becomes heavier and more solemn. The butterflies appear like small lights,
briefly catching highlights before slipping back into shadow as the fabric
folds. The cross feels anchored, the flowers protective, the motion restrained.
In
every version, the balance remains embodied rather than declared: endurance
softened by bloom, stillness made gentle by motion, and structure held quietly
by life.
