Behind the Collection - BLOOM
From the Studio: The Return of a Beloved Series
As the old saying goes, good things take time. A collection of mine that has been in the works for nearly a year will launch tomorrow, Monday, May 11, at 9:30 a.m. EST from my studio, Josh Young Design House. In its sixth iteration, BLOOM – Volume VI is a 72-piece collection featuring abstract botanical paintings on antique French documents, custom-dyed cotton papers, and uniquely sized oval canvases.
It’s hard to believe my studio will turn 10 years old next year, and BLOOM has certainly become one of the collections that remains a favorite among my collectors and followers. It’s a series that has gone on to inspire other creative projects I’ve done and has been translated into a variety of textiles and upholstery pieces, even landing on the front and back covers of my book, Artful Home.
All collections are created equal; however, this one is especially special and memorable to me. I began working on this latest series last summer during a sabbatical at Sycamore House, where I spent nearly two months painting, experimenting, and building the body of work that would become BLOOM – Volume VI.
What’s different about this collection is its greater exploration of shape and color compared to previous series. For nearly a decade now, I’ve always tried to bring a new perspective to my collections — something that stands apart from earlier series while continuing the overall themes that many have come to love and look forward to.
One of the beautiful things about BLOOM is the custom-dyed cotton paper I use for the majority of the pieces. For the past few years, I’ve worked with an incredible vendor in Paris who dyes these delicate, organically textured papers into the most beautiful tones, allowing each piece to feel antiqued without becoming overly yellow or orange.
Last summer, I was painting one of the botanical motifs in a deep green when I accidentally let the paint drip onto the background of the piece. I had diluted the paint with water, and once the droplet spread outward, a beautiful tone appeared as it dried. I loved what I saw. The pigment interacting with the organic paper created beautiful, rich variations in color. I grabbed a few sheets of the cotton paper and headed outside.
I laid out a series and began experimenting with the various pigments and how they interacted with the original background color. They felt layered and intricate, and once dried, I fell in love.
As I wrote in the chapter “Form” in my book, Artful Home, I love playing with shape. This has been evident in series such as Géométrique and In the Studio. This time around, I wanted to experiment with different canvas sizes and shapes for my BLOOM collection. After some exploration, I landed on a multi-layered approach incorporating plaster, gesso, and several layers of oil and acrylic paint. I’m in love with the final result and how each piece holds its own within any wall or vignette. To complete them, I paired the works with beautiful champagne-silver oval frames, which make them feel especially unique and special.
As I have done for many years in my Bibliothèque series, I wanted to experiment with mixed media and incorporate antique French documents and papers into the work. Influenced by my husband Ignacio’s pottery line, Alfaro Pottery, I painted a small collection of decorative urns onto the papers and mounted them on oversized watercolor paper for framing.
The motifs were done in a deep reddish-brown color as well as a rich, warm ivory.
As always, I returned to what has made this collection so beloved by many, myself included: loose, freeform botanical outlines and still lifes rendered in my go-to neutral palette, ready to be framed and brought into your home.
It has been so fun and rewarding to see how this series has evolved over the years and been translated into other creative projects of mine — from pillows and textiles to storefront window displays in New York, and even the front and back covers of my book. BLOOM is so near and dear to me, and I can’t wait to share the full collection with you all tomorrow morning. So set your alarms for Monday, May 11th at 9:30 a.m. EST. I hope you all love this latest installment as much as I do…
More soon!
x Josh
So endlessly inspired by your beautiful work, Josh! This collection is spectacular. Reminds me of spring in Litchfield County ;)