Time Worn Steps

The wide leaves of the Calla Lilies, a favorite in Mexico, compliment the red doors and make them appear brighter. This follows a basic rule of color: Placing a color next to the complimentary hue on the color wheel makes it look more intense. Compliments are colors that are directly across from each other on the wheel. Red is across from Green, Blue from Orange and Purple from Yellow.

I use the corner of a medium sized Bright brush to shape the Lilies. The color is gently “Laid” on top of the underlying paint. I don’t want to pick up any of that color and muddy my flowers. If you’d like to learn more about the brushes I prefer CLICK HERE.

Pure White is reserved for the highlights on the Calla Lilies. Then the Lavender is blocked in with Dioxazine Purple + White. The green-gray foliage is made from various mixes of Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Orange + White.

Petunias and Philodendrons fill the container closest to the steps. Holding the Bright brush flat enables me to form the heart shaped leaves of the tropical greenery. A brighter green of Pthalo Blue + Lemon Yellow is used for this foliage. Various mixtures of Cadmium Orange + Cadmium Red Light + White are used to block in the Petunias.

Yellow flowers always look so crisp juxtaposed by a red door. Coreopsis works here perfectly!

Time Worn Steps   20″ x 30″   Original Oil Painting

Deep Red Geraniums complete our courtyard garden. Don’t you wish those Time Worn Steps could talk. The sharp edges have been smoothed by hundreds of footfalls over the years. Don’t you think the stories they’d tell would be fun to hear? Thank you for following along. AND….don’t forget. If you’d like to see any of the pictures larger just click on the image. Hugs,

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