Flowers continue to inspire me. Tulips signify freshness, springtime and beauty.

My goal for painting these tulips was to simplify the composition into basic shapes without adding a lot of details. To achieve the soft petals, I used plain water on the paper first, wetting the shapes. This loosens the sizing on the paper and allows the wet-in-wet shapes of the petals to appear soft and velvety. Watercolor painting works best when you allow the paint, water and paper to do it’s own thing.

I also mix the colors on the palette. As I paint, the shapes of the flowers are connected to create one bouquet. Values connect throughout the design, weaving it all together. The limited palette of reds, pinks and blues unifies the painting. The soft lemon yellow creates a glow of light within the tulips. The dark background pushes the flowers to the foreground.