A Dahlia Painting for Miss Stalnaker

I thought I'd share what I've been up to lately. This week I've been working on a Dahlia painting for my sorority sister Katie Stalnaker. When we met for brunch the other day, she told me that she was wanting a painting for over her bed. Having nothing but black and white furniture, she really needs something with color to help enliven her space. She had no clue what to order for her first-ever-commissioned-art-piece but what she did know was this: she loves purple.

I left our meeting having no clue what I was going to paint. So I decided to take a walk around my neighborhood...

I had cut a sharp right off a huge intersection to get away from all the evening traffic and got onto a local street that I hadn't been on before. There, on the corner of two streets which names I had never seen; were a patch of purple and pink dahlias. I went home and immediately decided that this was the perfect flower to paint for Katie. Dahlias are so beautiful! They are a summer flower that commands attention.. I love the way their pedals are so intricate and bright... perfect for a great painting composition...

The painting isn't completed quite yet...(I'll post the final product soon)... But here is the progression so far !!