I photographed this series of flowers using a macro lens influenced by the hyper-representational paintings of Boris Vallejo and his wife Julie Bell. In their book The Fantasy of Flowers, Boris and Julie bring their extraordinary and unique vision to flower photography, uncovering a secret life of flowers that is inspirational. I hope to reveal a world of beauty by adding my own vision to create a new universe that unfolds to the eye of the camera and then to my own. Few things in nature are as versatile as flowers. I am often amazed by the delicacy of their sometime abstract and symmetrical design. Then I look closer and again am mesmerized by the richness, texture and variety of color The rain drops add a sparkling freshness to this image. I like to present the beauty of nature from an intimate point of view. "To analyze the charms of flowers is like dissecting music;it is one of those things which is far better to enjoy, than to attempt to understand." Henry T. Tuckerman (1813-1871) American essayist.