
At first I was disappointed that the irises were gone. My heart sank from the distance. My inspiration gone. Two weeks ago their dark almost black purple inspired me to paint them. I painted them and they felt right paired with the cool colors of the heron. My idea was to photograph them at the lake near my house where the inspiration started.
But they were gone. Only their seed pods remained. Tough, strong, and not the moody purple I was expecting. But I realized that I had without knowing incorporated them into the painting. This painting has inspired other ideas for other paintings. I’m excited to pair herons with other favorite flowers. Combining modern botanicals with my favorite wildlife.











