Seattle artist Robert Blehert does not ask his female subjects to hold their body’s still or keep their faces steady. Instead, he asks women to tell him about themselves.

That is how he captures what he refers to as the “essence” of a woman as he paints them in flowers.

“I’ll just talk with someone for a minute or two and then I’ll just run with my feelings on it,” said Blehert, who will be putting on a live flower portrait show in downtown Kirkland at Simplicity Décor, 126 Park Lane, from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 10 and 12-6 p.m. Sept. 12.

Though it may sound wild to some, Blehert said he enjoys what he does and women have appreciated his work.

He began doing the flower portraits a few years ago when he painted one for a friend for her birthday present. From there, the idea bloomed and became what Blehert now refers to as “Flowers of You.”

People liked their portraits painted so much, Blehert began doing Mother’s Day events in Florida.

“One woman said that everyday she looks at the painting, it inspires her to be her best,” Blehert said. “I’ve always liked to see the best in people and something so simple seems to be pulling that out and it’s really exciting for me.”

He says the portraits don’t portray an exact type of flower, rather an impressionist painting. Using acrylic paint, he splashes different colors on an open canvas, letting his feelings about the woman be his guide.

But it’s not just women’s spirits he captures.

While doing an event in his hometown of St. Paul, Minn., a man asked him if he would paint the essence of his father-in-law.

“This guy was just really serious – probably a long-time businessman type,” Blehert recalled.

His portrait ended up portraying a beautiful landscape with rolling hills.

“It really felt like him,” Blehert said, adding the man went from being serious, to really excited once he saw the finished portrait.

Flowers of You combines Blehert’s classic fundamental painting skills with his love of people and his love of bringing out the best in people, he said.

It’s not about the female form, he says, but the person’s inner beauty.

“It’s the simplest thing I’ve ever done and yet creates the most profound results,” he added. “As an artist I’ve always wanted to enrich people in some way. This seems to be achieving that – making them feel better about themselves and feel beautiful.”

For information, visit www.flowersofyou.com or www.robertblehert.com.