Southwest Enchantment

As with the garlic ropes I mix several shades of aqua, blue and lavender. The garlic ropes are in shadow so the colors were grayed a little with a touch of MUD (Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson). Because the Matilija Poppies will be washed in sunlight I want these mixes to be more pure. So I just add white to the base colors: Ultramarine Blue, Dioxazine Purple and Phtalo Blue.

Using the corner of a large, Flat brush I block in the blossoms of the white Matilija Poppies.

Next, the dusty gray-green foliage is painted around the flower shapes. Remember, you can see an enlargement of any of these images by just clicking on the photo.

Now I go back in and add the bright white highlights to the Matilija Poppies catching the sun. The last step will be to paint the yellow centers.

Southwest Enchantment     38″ x 48″     Original Oil Painting

Notice how the white of the Matilija Poppies is brighter than the white water trickling in the fountain. This is because I added just the tiniest touch of Hansa Lemon Yellow to the White used for the Poppy highlights. This made the mixture a little bit warmer than the cool white highlights of the water, making the flowers appear brighter and causing them to come forward. After letting it dry for a few days we’ll ship the piece to its new home in Albuquerque where it will add some Southwest Enchantment to the wall. Hugs, Mikki Senkarik

Website: www.senkarik.com