Today I went back to an orchid, which I called Tiger Orchid for lack of any information to the contrary. There are so many varieties of orchids that it’s almost impossible to find the exact name, even with the internet.
I painted a similar tiger orchid from a photo that I took 30 years ago at Longwood Gardens, PA, a sentimental place for me since Jay proposed there. Even so, there’s no way I would have remembered the date without finding the photo with the information on the back.
This peaceful painting had a calming effect on me after a frenetic day yesterday with my double yolk egg (Day 14). For a few hours, I had visions of being in the tropics – and felt warmer already. Could it be from painting this hothouse flower on a warm winter day? Or just fond memories?
After selecting the orchid for my subject in the morning, I spent some time regrouping and planning for the rest of the challenge. The idea was to get out ahead of things with a busy weekend coming up. Ideally, I would have cleaned up my studio… Maybe tomorrow.
It was mid-afternoon before I started painting, and I had to work quickly to take advantage of the daylight. I was so focused that I forgot to take photos as I went along (a first!). After applying a pale yellow ochre acrylic underpainting with a touch of yellow in the center, I painted the background in oil, hoping that I wouldn’t have to redo it later. Then I began the orchid from top down, starting with the white petals and spots before moving on to the lower half.
At this point, I realized that the details of the orchid weren’t visible in the photo. Blowing up the image on the computer and reprinting it was key to completing the painting. I’ll have to remember to do this sooner when needed in the future.
All in all, it was a satisfying day. Tomorrow the goal is to complete Day 16 and start Day 17. Wish me luck with this ambitious plan!
Stay tuned.
