Spring Daffodil 2021

In Scott Fraser’s painting, *Spring Daffodil*, a single flower in a pot emerges against a dark background. I imagine Fraser gently coaxing the painting into being, one careful stroke at a time. The paint has a smooth, almost porcelain-like surface, each detail rendered with precision. Look at the way the light catches the curve of the terracotta pot, or the delicate folds of the daffodil’s petals. The care! I wonder, what was Fraser thinking as he painted each leaf and petal? Was he contemplating the fleeting nature of beauty, or the quiet resilience of life pushing through the earth? Maybe he was simply absorbed in the act of seeing, finding joy in the interplay of light and shadow. In the end, that’s all painting is anyway: one person, one brush, trying to get something down. It’s this shared humanity that makes painting so powerful.