Lauded for her brilliantly realistic landscapes, the Canadian artist was moved to experiment with the historic art of painting floral arrangements which began as early as the 1700’s and was made popular by French artists Matisse, Manet and Cezanne. Like them, Service often created vignettes for each painting—a curated collection of objects set out on a table; the focal point being a stunning, colourful bouquet. The naturally complex form and remarkable colour of each flower presents the artist with an intriguing challenge. Service’s still life paintings are romantic, exquisitely detailed interpretations of an art form that has captivated artists and their admirers for centuries. “Whenever anyone brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers I would go crazy until I could get them to the studio; there I could paint them, drawing inspiration from their luxuriousness.” Pat Service