For A New Office

My friend Jess just got a new job in a new school district.  With that job came a new job title, new responsibilities, and a new office.  I was touched when Jess reached out to me and asked if I would paint something for her office.  Of course I said sure, I would love to.

She sent me the color palette she was going to use in her office and I sent her my pinterest link for images of pods and flowers/plants that I am interested in.  She narrowed it down to 3 or 4 and told me to pick from there.  Amongst the choices were a flower that reminded me of home...the dogwood.

It would be a challenge as I hadn't really painted flowers in my current style.  I've stuck mostly with pods of one kind or another.  But, I gladly took it on, and I am glad I did.  I created my background first, then laid down the composition of the branches.  Then I stopped.  I wasn't quite sure how I would do the flowers themselves.  I thought back to the chinese lantern and decided to put the petals onto wax paper and glue them on after painting.  

Did you know that if you write in sharpie or marker on the wax paper and put the texture medium on top, when you peal the dried medium off, the sharpie/maker remains on the bottom.  I didn't either, but I do now.

Anyway, I painted the petals, glued them down, and once again, stopped.  I had to create the center of the flower still. Then I remembered the extra corse pumice medium I still had from the milk weed pod.  It worked out perfect.

I am happy with the artwork and I hope that Jess smiles every time she see's it in her office.

"Dogwood", Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, and Texture Mediums on Canvas, 16X20, November 2014.