I was inspired by my garden flowers and wanted to continue my bouquet series of bright flowers. Some reference photos were used to formulate the basic shapes.

I was not pleased with the color combinations as I worked; the warm and cool colors seemed to clash and were discordant. The light blue background color was pleasing but the reds, yellows and pinks did not provide enough contrast. The tonal quality needed to change — the values needed strengthening. Choosing some other browns, mahogany, white made a big difference and the analogous colors are harmonious. The vase color was changed too — originally it was gray and pretty bland.

The limited palette unifies the design. The benefits of working in collage is that everything can be changed, edited and shapes can be moved around until the design is pleasing. Small scraps of paper were saved on a card to document the progress of the design. While working, I evaluate and check that the principles and elements of design are evident in my painting. The repetition of the flower shapes and colors, the contrast of light and darks, and the patterns that move the eye around and through the design, all work together.  I strive for a strong, interesting design with a strong value pattern and colorful shapes.