"The grass he walked through was new and a sweet smell clung to his clothes. There was blue dye on his hands from the wild irises... that the color of the sky was a shade that could never be replicated in any photograph, just as Heaven could never be seen from the confines of Earth."
-Alice Hoffman
Of all the flowers I've ever painted, and ever grown, the iris is my favorite. It is not the best cut flower; much like a day lily, their beauty fades quickly. But wow! When an iris unfurls its petals, it is truly one of the most glorious of all flowers! I often think of them as nature's poems--they enrapture the soul with their beauty.
One fascinating thing I've discovered about irises, is that each color has a different scent!
I have a deep, rich purple iris that has a sweet, heavy perfume.
I have a pale orange iris that smells like citrus.
There's nothing quite like the beauty of the iris after it rains, with little droplets that fill each petal like pearlescent diamonds. And even more stunning, is an iris early in the evening, where light cascades over one petal and leaves a deep shadow on another.
These paintings have all found good homes, and I am so very grateful for that!
If you have a love of irises or flowers in general, and want to start your art collection, a good place to begin is by collecting prints.
A number of my flower paintings (irises included) are available for sale as archival giclee prints through Fine Art America.
You can go here to find your favorite painting available as a print on paper, canvas, acrylic, wood, and metal.