First Bloom

This is a painting of new bearded irises blooms from my garden. After a long cold winter, I am constantly amazed by the new flowers that bloom throughout the spring, summer, and fall. I sometimes paint the flowers very loosely, and at other times I will paint them with a much more stylized, detailed approach. In this painting, the bearded irises were painted to capture the detail, style, and delicate nature of bearded irises, as well as the incredible colors that can be found in a single flower. I created a very simple composition, using only two flowers in order to contrast with the detailed or stylized approach in the painting.

Oil on canvas