JOAN L. GARCIA
"ORCHIDS I"
"ORCHIDS II"
$99.00 unframed
12" x 12" acrylic on canvas
12" x 12"
Orchids can be a passion and phaleanopsis are some of the easiest to grow. Their moth like appearance grace a home with their cool white purity. I paint  orchids which I have grown, showing every vein and highlight.
Private collection
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$950.00 unframed
The acquisition of a new orchid always sparks a new painting.  I love the warm blush of this Maki Wantanabe phaleanopsis and you can see all phases of the bloom of this stem.This is the first botanical painting I have completed using oils and particularly like the way I can almost melt the veins into the surface and the rich paint defines the strong highlights from the sunlight.
"MAKI WANTANABE"
16" x 20"
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oil on canvas
Click here acrylic on canvasto add text.
$2000.00 commissioned
'WHITE ORCHIDS III"
18" x 24"
oil on canvas
Private commission
White phalaenopsis, moth orchids,  are relatively common and popular houseplants, but their white delicacy is so inspiring to me.  I love the way sunlight illuminates each flower. Though delicate looking they are actually very hardy and can bloom for 2 to 3 months.  This is good for the painting process.  They also seem to love the humidity that Florida provides. 
Photo from my garden of Maki Wantanabe-Blush. This spray had just the right symetry for a painting. Showing all phases of the flower. Pencil sketch to be transferred to canvas with transfer paper, I use Blue Saral for this purpose. Wanted a dark background like the garden to contrast the pink colors of the orchids. Transferred the drawing and defined the darker colors of the petals with various mixtures of titanium, violet and Paynes gray. Worked the stems with sap green, burnt umber, yellow ochre & alizarin crimson. Lighted the gray mixtures with titanium and added a base of color with alizarin crimson, violet and titanium white. After blocking in the petals I added the column and lip using Naples yellow, titanium white and Paynes gray. Though it seems like there are highlights they are very subdued. Using a mixture of titanium white, paynes gray and violet I layered the veins. It's finished! After applying heavy strokes of white on all highlights and a sufficient drying time I varnished the painting with Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish.
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Photo of current paintingMay 18 - I started by applying 6 layers of gesso, sanding between coats. This a simple line drawing of the orchids. The background was painted with black, sap green, cerulean blue and burnt sienna. The white of the gesso was left to enhance the white of the orchids.May 18 - A middle value was established using paynes gray, titanium white, violet, burnt umber. Black was added to the middle value to deepen the darkest areas. May 18 - With just the middle and dark values plus the white background it almost looks like a completed painting. May 20 - A glaze of ultramarine blue was added on the facing flowers. Violet and sap green glazes were added on the other flowers. The glazes were mixed with Liquin. May 21 - Working on the backs of the three flowers I added layers and shading of paynes gray, sap green, violet, alizarin crimson and titanium white using Liquid as a glazing medium. After this layer setup I added white highlights on the edges using a thicker application of titanium white. May 22 - A closeup on the lower flower. Nearly complete, I added a glaze of ultarmarine blue mixed with burnt umber and Liquin to add more shading. May 22 - Finished the rear blossums, adding a glaze of burnt umber & Liquin to darken shadows. Painted the stems and added leaves to balance the negative space and add a ground to the stem. May 23 - Added a mixture of titanium white, ultamarine blue and paynes gray to the middle flower. It seems to make it glow. May 24 - Working on the center of this flower I added various mixtures of naples yellow, titanium white and cadium red. May 24 - As I work on these main flowers the paint will be thicker with more brushes strokes visible. May 25 - Details of middle flower added; 1. center alizaron crimson, 2. lighter mixture of titanium white and ultamarine blue, 3. pure titanium for hightlights. May 25 - These photos bring out the areas that need additional work. I'll need to add more shadows after the white has dried. It needs more contrast to make the white areas more pure. May 26 - Preparing the last flower. Naples yellow and titanium white added to the center. It need to be fully dry to add the details. May 26 - Full view, added white as the highlights so they would be brilliant on this last flower and dry enough to add glazes. May 27 - Final flower is finished. The white underpainting really makes this image pop. Initially made a glaze of white titanium and Galkyd. The Galkyd gives a less slippery surface to paint the details. Shadows were added with ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. Details with paynes gray and white.
Click  any image above to open a viewing gallery of this work in progress.
Affordable prints of this painting are available through Fine Art America Click here to purchase