Pink Summer Peonies

I broke out the watercolors this weekend in an attempt to capture the pink petaled beauties stuck in my mind. It is peony season here and here in Santa Barbara the farmers markets and store displays are filled with the feathery petaled blooms in pink and blush and white and burgundy.

According to the all knowing Wikipedia, I have gathered some interesting facts on peonies for your next trivia night:

• Peonies are native to Asia, Southern Europe and Western North America.
• The peony is among the longest-used flowers in Eastern culture.
• The peony is named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing.
• In 1957, the peony was voted as the state flower of Indiana, and still is today.

Now that your brains are filled with facts, I will fill them with pretty colors to dull the throbbing.

My first play was a loose and bright swash of paint to allude to soft and delicately, layered petals of the peony.

Round two was slightly more detailed - with a desire to both let the paint do its thing while also capturing the feathering look of the peony petals. 

It's been a while since I painted - primarily because my paints and brushes were tucked away in storage, but it feels good to paint, and I plan on leave the kitchen table a mess for some time. I am working on a quick study for another painting, larger painting I hope to get to soon. I'll keep you guys posted on that one.