Six white orchids with gauzy petals and human-like purple faces frolic across a golden-yellow background. The orchids’ expressions register a range of emotions from joy and mischief to concern or perplexity. Drew-Bear’s imaginative compositions were often inspired by literary sources and the theater. In addition, she was especially attracted to decorative patterns—whether observed in flowers, a ballerina’s costume, fireworks displays, or the scenery of Venice (her favorite city, which she visited annually).
Drew-Bear was fifty-nine years old when she received a paint set from her daughter on Christmas in 1938, beginning a remarkable career as a largely self-taught artist. Born in England, she came to Philadelphia in 1905 and opened the London Flower Shop at 18th and Chestnut Streets, which she owned and operated for more than forty years. Known for sophisticated, high-end arrangements for gala events, she often painted in a second-floor studio above her shop. Drew-Bear briefly studied with Arthur B. Carles and spent a month in French artist Fernand Léger's atelier in 1949. She traveled extensively throughout Europe, Central America, and South America. In her seventies, she learned to scuba dive to paint marine life. Her work was acquired by prestigious collectors Sidney Janis and Albert Duveen.
