Riverside Iris, watercolour, 1238in (30.5325.5cm).
My students and I came across some beautiful dark red irises hidden in long grass on the side of a riverbank, whilst on a painting trip in Sabarat in the south of France. A chance encounter with gorgeous flowers that you normally see in their cultivated form in gardens is always quite a thrilling experience and an added joyful subject matter to the already beautiful scenery.
I love all flowers, but when it comes to painting some have the ability to get the creative energy flowing more than others. The iris is one of those flowers, and all types of this gorgeous flower have been painted over and over by numerous artists, the most being a series of paintings of irises by Vincent Van Gogh during his stay in the asylum at St Remy in France. His magnificently lively and swirling brushmarks captured the beauty of these stunning flowers with great movement and energy.