Flower VII – Blue flower painting in expressive style

A flower full of energy

At first glance, Blume VII appears to be a simple motif. A flower, a stem, a few leaves. Yet the work derives its impact less from form than from its painterly energy.

A radiant blue defines the pictorial space and creates a surprising openness. In front of it unfolds an intense blossom head in shades of red, orange, and yellow. The colors seem to spread out, flow into one another, and at the same time assert themselves against each other.

The flower remains recognizable, while its execution becomes increasingly free.

Schmiertafel – familiar signs in motion

The series Schmiertafel deals with generally familiar pictorial signs such as flowers, smileys, trees or figures. They are simple forms that everyone recognizes and whose meaning seems fixed.

In these paintings, the form remains while its execution becomes increasingly uncertain. Color no longer follows the expected paths, decisions become visible, corrections leave new traces. From something familiar, a state emerges between order and dissolution.

The works are about the fragility of simple certainties. They show how even stable signs can lose their self-evidence and how small shifts can open up a new, more open pictorial space.

Blue, red, and green as independent forces

Color plays a central role in Flower VII. The strong blue creates depth and breadth, while the warm reds and oranges of the blossom head set powerful contrasts. The green leaves connect both areas and give the motif stability.

At the same time, many color areas feel spontaneous and untamed. Drips, overlaps, and visible interventions are a reminder that the painting did not arise from perfection, but from decisions.

Between nature motif and painting

Although the flower remains present as a motif, the work is not about botanical accuracy. It moves between symbol, memory, and painterly event.

The form serves as a starting point. What matters is what happens during the painting process: densification, change, correction, and dissolution. This creates a pictorial world that feels both familiar and open.

Original painting by Mark Hellbusch

Flower VII is a one-of-a-kind original from my studio in Wiesbaden. The painting combines expressive brushwork with a reduced visual language and is part of the ongoing series Schmiertafel.

Discover more works

The Schmiertafel series includes flowers, smileys, trees, and other familiar signs. Together they form a body of work about perception, change, and the instability of seemingly simple certainties.

Smear board,

large formats and

blue paintings

I have been a freelance painter since 1997 and have worked with a wide variety of themes in painting. While until 2007 I was occupied almost exclusively with expressive painting, today my focus lies more on experimental art. My personal background, as well as almost all artistic themes can be found under “About us.”

Studio in Wiesbaden – viewings by appointment.

Direct purchase and shipping also available.