Glimpses of Beauty

After the wildness of my sunflower tangle earlier this week, this painting of peonies and lilacs seems almost too pretty. When I started painting a couple of weeks ago, I had to wade through a stack of unfinished paintings, some still taped to a painting board. This particular piece had only gotten as far as the first wet-in-wet wash and one defining layer, and it was too promising to abandon.

I love peonies, and lilacs, and I challenged myself to keep the freshness of those first layers and not add more definition than was absolutely necessary. The photo you see is actually quite near completion, but I will tantalize you and keep the finished painting to myself for a few more days. At least until the light is better for photographing the finished painting. It's actually SNOWING outside...again.