I love painting flowers, the colors, the petals, the variety. one of my favorite flowers to paint is the lilac. I grew up in Wisconsin and there was a lilac tree in our backyard. I would awake to the heady thick aroma of lilac scent wafting through my bedroom window.
I miss the fragrance. I grew up loving the look and the smell of them. It’s a complicated flower to paint because you must paint mini tiny little petals. It’s both tedious and challenging, but in a good way. I enjoy trying to give the effect of depth with each oblong sprig. It’s intricate work and the color purple is one of my favorite colors.
When I relocated to California, I looked for lilacs to little avail. I came to understand that they mostly thrive in cold or cooler climates. Lately however, I have a new love, the California Poppy.
I’m sure poppies grow all over the world, but the California Poppy is one that I love to paint. The vibrant red orange color with a hint of translucent yellow is absolutely stunning. When the warm California sun hits at the right angle you can almost see through its delicate petals.
The iris is another favorite. All I can say is Wow! Rich tones of regal cobalt blue ant majestic purple. You gotta’ love it. I find them tricky to paint but I keep trying to capture them. The curvy arm like petals have both a strength and a delicacy about them. So, when I do get it right it’s almost always by accident and I am thrilled.