Cactus Flower 2

 

This is the second time I worked from the same photo of the blossom from my cactus that blooms only at night.  After working with layering transparent washes to do a deep dark background (in the workshop with Soon Warren)  I like the effect and the contrast it offers for a painting like this.

Crystal Vase with Peony

Here is a painting I finished recently at the Soon Y Warren workshop during this year's Florida Watercolor Convention.  It was great working with her and watching her paint.  I used a lot of frisket to begin, and did some scrubbing out of color on the Peony petals.  When I was about half done Soon Young suggested I tape off the outside edges as they were distracting from the main event.  I was planning on just cropping out the outside edges, but when I removed the tape everyone around agreed that it was great looking the way it was.  In fact it enhanced the "main event."