Flower Series

Page 2

Lilly, Oh Lily

watercolor

AWARD

Amongst the flowers in my garden, the lilies are my favorite. The Stargazer Lily delights me with its gorgeous color patterns sinking into the depths of the cup-like forms. The whorling petals exude life in motion as they twist and turn on their tall, slender stems.

One summer, when this perennial was at its three-year peak, I knew I had to commune with it and try to capture a little of its awesome magnificence onto my canvas. After doing many pencil sketches and numerous watercolor studies, I decided to concentrate on the nucleus of the deep, floral beauty in all its glory.

As usual, I used hot and cool color perspective as a vehicle to penetrate the surface and give the illusion of deeper space. This was a perfect opportunity to use color to create the illusion of the twisting and turning of the gently whorled petals. I had worked with this color theory earlier when I painted the acrylic painting Prayer Plant.

Big Red

watercolor

Lady in the Garden

watercolor

"They [Mitchell's paintings] make you more anxious for spring, especially the florals and bright colors." Larry and Jackie W.

Chives Standing Guard

watercolor

Zinnias & Petunias I

watercolor