GIGANTIC peony

wow!!! i started working in the floral business about 13 years ago and in all that time i have NEVER seen a peony as big, beautiful or perfect as this one!! i can't wait to start a painting, or two, or more, of it!! it really was almost as big as my head. and it's one of my fav colors that peonies come in, i think the really dark salmon color might be my other favorite. what is your favorite flower?? maybe i have already painted it...

yes, my entire hand would have been hidden behind it...

tulip tree blooms

here are some very preliminary views of a new painting i am working on. it's based off of some pictures i took of some tulip tree blooms--very cool, you will see those next. anyway, there is still a long way to go with this one but so far so good.

i have never actually seen one of these trees close-up and now i know why people go crazy over them! the blooms are amazing! i think they come in different colors, someone i knew in new orleans had a tulip tree but i never got to see it in bloom. these branches came from a local florist here in austin. i am working on a painting of them right now, it's still in the early stages but it has promise....