Niagara Blacks


A number of years ago when I was visiting the Niagara area, I purchased a black bearded iris. The third year that it was in my garden, it bloomed. I could not believe what I was seeing, black buds turning to deep purple and navy blooms which turned magenta and rose when the sunlight caressed them. This is indeed an impressive flower. It is also prolific, producing six to eight blooms per stem. I had to draw on a large variety of dark colors to create the intense dark of the petals. Each petal was painted by mixing the colors on the wet surface.

Dimensions: 36 x 20

Medium: watercolor