Purple irises catching the sun.....

Boy.....it pays to have your camera ready! The sun wasn't supposed to be out this morning, but when the clouds cleared and I headed out between thunderstorms, I spotted my purple irises. They survived the middle-of-the-night downpour in great shape...amazingly enough! When, (not if!!) I paint these, I'm sure Windsor Violet will be the predominant purple I'll use....with Windsor Blue as well. Both colors are staining colors and can be difficult to use, but they both are gorgeous. I can only hope I do these lovelies justice! And it does pay to keep your camera handy....because with more storms coming, these may be gone tomorrow!!

Spring bulbs and busy days....

I've paused work on my motorcycle for the time being...getting ready for the Allentown Art Festival has taken over! While out watering my newly planted vegetable garden, I spotted this iris blossoming, and I knew I had to get a photo. I have no idea what kind this is, but I love it. Sometimes it seems as if the yellow glows...it will catch your eye from a distance- gorgeous!

The plant on the right?? I have NO idea what it is....and I planted it! It grows in the same bed as the iris above, and blooms at the same time. I love the unusual shape of the bloom. Doing each of these flowers justice in a painting will be a challenge! I love the colors in the iris, and it will be tough to get the intensity of the yellow without it looking too opaque in comparison to the other colors. The flower on the right has each little bloom opening straight downwards, but I think in the photo here I was able to capture enough of the interior color to make it accurate. With how busy I have been these past few weeks, I'm glad I was able to catch these beauties!