Iris

This week's flower is one of my personal favorites... the iris.

As with last week's amaryllis, it is part of a series of 4x4 mini paintings that are being offered to my blog, newsletter, and facebook readers for only $40.  They make perfect gifts and add cheer to any room when placed on a little easel.  Just send a note to me if you'd like to start your wilt-free bouquet!

Here's the photo I took of irises at my mailbox:

I cropped the photo to emphasize the shape of this lovely blossom:

I had so much fun with this particular flower that I painted it twice:

Iris 2, 4x4 Oil, Available for $40

Iris 1, 4x4 Oil, SOLD

Spring at Homewood Nursery

This small painting is one of my personal favorites (though I have many!)  Begun on location at Homewood Nursery in Raleigh, I loved painting the glow of the reflected light and colors in the shadows on the planter and the many layers of blossoms and greenery along the pathway.

Since my center of interest was the reflected light on the planter, I chose to contrast the warm orange-y glow by making the foreground flower a blue iris rather than yellow and then repeated this color in the background irises.  I also darkened the value of that flower so that it would blend in with the shadow and not draw attention to itself.  Another change I made was to continue the pink flowers all the way to the planter in order to lead your eye there and not have the pink flowers be so isolated.  One final change was to give more depth to the scene by using a blue haze to make the background recede behind the planter.  Happy Spring!

Spring at Homewood Nursery
6x8 oil, SOLD