'One of my pet-hates is roses that do not smell' says Sharon, adding 'why does anyone think taking the fragrance from a flower is an improvement?' 

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Earlier this year, she was given a white rose, which had no fragrance and did not open, staying exactly as it was for a month, the essence of being a rose had completely been lost.  This inspired her to depict this in a painting, leading to the 'Perfection Lost' series.

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'I grow gorgeous, fragranced roses in my garden, and have often painted them.  The transformation from bud to full bloom and finally to petals on the ground is beautiful, and I cannot think that it could be made better.  Our view of natural beauty has been affected across the spectrum.'

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As she was painting the roses, she saw obvious parallels in human beauty and and the well documented need for 'perfection' leading to ever more extreme measures to achieve it, leading to a series within a series looking at transformation, and how the outside can be changed, but what's inside remains.  These are paintings over an image below.

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See the series so far at: Sharon MacLaren 

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