My house did not feel like home, with its dark walls paired with blinds drawn against the Florida heat. I was always trying to brighten the place up. The focal point of the living room was a heavy, gray stone fireplace with a dark, wooden mantle. It needed color, but I didn’t want to drill into the stonework in this rented house. I decided to paint a big, bright bouquet that would never wilt, that complimented the colors of my living room, and that would gracefully sit on the mantle and lean against the chimney. For the past ten years, my artistic expression was limited to the kitchen. This was…