A Seduction of Lilies

It was a total joy to paint this close up of lilies that I saw in Vancouver’s Granville Island Market.  The sensuous shapes, vibrant colors, and minimal texture were fun to build up with my glazing techniques making them richer with every layer.  Dark color, such as the background and the deep wells of the flowers, are always difficult in watercolor because the paint dries many shades lighter than when applied. It can take 5-10 glazes to build up to the dark value that I envision. I wanted the background to be dark and neutral yet still glow with luminous color to compliment the oranges and reds in the flowers.  Certain colors lift and move around when re-wetted making it even more challenging to keep from streaking a large smooth area like the background or blending into a gradient area like the left two lilies.

Flowers are a constant seduction for me.  They can be beautiful, ephemeral and oh so fragrant in nature. It’s another pleasure to capture the colors and the mystical designs within them to enjoy as art, larger than life.

This painting was just added to my Watercolor Gallery on my fine art site at sandyhaightfineart.com. There are a few other flower paintings there and more to come!