California Wild Flowers 2014

California Wild Flowers 2014 Watercolor on Arches 300 gsm 16.5×12 cm “6.4×4.7”
California Wild Flowers 2014 Watercolor on Arches 300 gsm 16.5×12 cm “6.4×4.7”
These are some of the steps taken.
I started out by putting the vase and the flowers on the paper first.
Then I start working around the paper putting in the colors and shapes I see.
Here I start looking for contrast.
Looking for depth.
Looking for atmosphere too.
I start with the idea of putting the exact shape and color.
I work around the paper always going to a blank part on the paper instead of building up any one area.
Since I used an a la prima technique, I stopped when the surface of the paper was covered.
I started out with a diamond grid.
Finished Watercolor
Started out with my favorite part.
Working around the paper.
Finished Watercolor
Bouquet in Crystal Vase 1994
Sweet Pea Flowers in Purple Vase
Red Bottle with Ceramic Dish and Irises 1999
Red Bottle, kumquats and Sugar Bowl 1998
kumquats and Glass Bottle with Pinch Pot 1998
Red Bottle with Red Flowers 1998
Bougainvillea in Purple Vase 2011
Bougainvillea in Crystal Vase 2011
Roses in Crystal Vase 2011
Glass Bottles on Shelf 2012
Red Roses in Greek Vase 2015
Red Roses in Glass Vase 2015
Poppies in May 2016
Poppies, Daisies and Roses 2015
Red Glass Bottle with Orange Poppies 2016
Small Red Bottle with Wild Flowers 2016
Chartreuse Bottle with California Wild Flowers 2016
Here in Madrid, Spain the almond trees are in full bloom in the first week of March. The flowers have white delicate petals with a touch of crimson in the middle. These blossoms are fleeting; I don’t catch them every year. Sometimes it’s windy and they blow away and decorate the ground before I can paint them. How do you paint white flowers in watercolor? You paint the space around them to give them shape by respecting the white.