There are few winter flowers as lovely as the amaryllis. These showy blooms seem to arrive just in time for Christmas, which makes them perfect for holiday displays. In this painting deep red amaryllis flowers are set against a snowy green background for a classic look. This is one of my latest mixed media pieces.
During Victorian times the language of flowers, called floriography, assigned specific meanings to flowers. The amaryllis was thought to symbolize pride and beauty. It was also associated with the Greek myth of Amaryllis, a maiden in love with a shepherd, Alteo, who did not return her affection. In order to win his favor, she went to his door for 30 nights dressed in pure white, piercing her heart with a golden arrow. When he finally opened the door Amaryllis was gone, but a beautiful scarlet red flower had grown out of her heart's blood.
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