Day Lillies

I had wanted to have a more rectangular canvas for the composition to paint on but I couldn't find a canvas to fit my idea of what the painting should be.  The drawing and the placement of the lily's was a bit of a challenge.  The lily on the right had some drawing issues which were not resolved till much later in the painting.  This in turn meant there was a lot of extra drawing and revisions.  

This 30x30 canvas required a change in thought on how to place the image within the painting.  The drawing needed to be cleaned up so I outlined the shapes to denote where the background started.  This then allowed the drawing errors in the interior of the flowers to be  isolated easier.

The dark background would end up being a value reference point for the rest of the painting.  

Laying down lots of paint trying to get colors and values right.

Elaborating, subdividing, searching for color accuracy, and sharpening the shapes.

The challenge for me with this composition is how to add the foliage that provides such a strong complement to the color of the lilies.  I don't want to overwhelm the negative space in the upper left side of the painting.

My painting's inspiration was waiting for me in the backyard.  The drama of the late afternoon light and the dark background really made the flowers pop.