Deep Purple Iris

 "Deep Purple Iris #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Deep Purple Iris #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

 "Deep Purple Iris #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

This iris was growing along my driveway, in among the daisies.  When I moved here, the previous owner had planted iris all along the edges of the property.  Over the years, trees and shrubs had taken over, shading the iris (and hiding them).  The past couple years I spent digging them out and planting them along the driveway.  Most of the iris are 2-tone: pale lavender and a deeper blue-ish purple.  This one was a surprise.  

I was busy and had put off trying to paint iris.  Finally I picked this one -- the last one with a decent-looking bloom -- and decided to try painting it.  It's almost black.  I didn't use black paint, though.  I mixed ultramarine, alizarin and a little viridian for the darkest shades.  Right at the end I put in a few thin dashes of a paler blue-tone to bring out some of the highlights.  It turned out to be one of my most favorite flower paintings!