Tansy in Jar, 1987 by Jack Beder is a 13 x 10 pastel on paper. A wild bouquet of tansy flowers brings life to the eye with bold marigold yellows and lime green stems. The jar holding the flowers has small flecked highlights of the sunshine yellow hue complimenting the piece subtly. The arrangement has movement with each flat-topped cluster, the feeling of wind while they were growing in a nearby pasture or stream bank. Beder loved to use pastels to create still lives during the last few years of his life. Taking flowers from nearby and using them as the main inspiration for many great pieces such as this one.

The background would be assumed to be Beder’s household, with minimal detailing to avoid detracting from the attention to the flowers and jar. The grey slate is sleek and plain, with the geometric shape of a large painting in the background.

This piece was displayed in our Rookleys exhibition, Jack Beder: Life and Art in Canada.