New Work: Bloom Under Pressure and Companion Pieces

Over the past several months, I’ve been finishing a series of paintings that began in different places. Some of these began months ago, some as sketches, some as near-abandoned experiments. Together, they form a small collection rooted in saturation, repetition, and the tension between beauty and unrest.

At the center of this release is Bloom Under Pressure.

Bloom Under Pressure

This piece began as something entirely different. It started as an abstract base that I nearly covered in white. At one point, I thought I might start over completely. Instead, I painted through it.

As I worked, the world felt increasingly chaotic. Public unrest, economic headlines celebrating record markets, cultural tension simmering beneath the surface. There was a dissonance between what I saw being valued and what was visibly breaking.

That tension made its way into my painting.

Circular, floral-like forms bloom across the surface in saturated color; it’s almost too saturated. Acrylic layers build density and movement, while darker undertones of Prussian blue emerge beneath the vibrancy. What first reads as celebratory begins to feel unstable. Lush. Pressurized. Slightly decaying.

The work reflects the way beauty can coexist with strain and how excess can conceal fragility. It invites you to look longer. To notice what sits beneath.

Bloom Under Pressure is currently being professionally framed and will be available as a finished, ready-to-hang piece.

Two of a Kind I & II

These companion works began as experiments on Bristol paper. They were explorations that I struggled with for weeks. At one point, I painted over them with white gesso, unhappy with where they were going. That didn’t solve it.

After bringing in new colors and allowing saturation to lead, the pieces shifted. They began to feel like dream landscapes of abstracted nature scenes rendered in heightened, technicolor tones. 

They hold the energy of repetition and movement. They are emotional landscapes, not physical ones.

Unique Together I & II

These smaller canvas works also evolved slowly. Originally intended to be simpler floral compositions, they resisted restraint. Each time I thought they were finished, they weren’t.

The breakthrough came when I leaned into contrast by outlining forms in Payne’s gray, deepening shadows, and clarifying structure. The addition of a vase grounded them. 

They feel companionable; connected, but independent. Two variations within the same practice. 

What I’m Learning

Across these pieces, I’m noticing a pattern: I don’t love erasing or hiding my work with white or any other color. I’m more interested in building over, pushing saturation further, and letting density accumulate rather than flattening it out. 

At least for now. 

Up next is a new large canvas. In fact, it will be the largest I’ve worked on to date. It will explore the concept of Siege, inspired by Shostakovich’s Leningrad. That piece will live in its own conversation about expansion and growth under siege. It’s about pressure of a different kind: inspired by historical and current events but a more psychological and personal examination.

But for now, this release feels cohesive.

All works are one of a kind and available exclusively through mariajewett.com.