Japanese Anemone

Sometimes a flower just asks to be painted. The Japanese Anemone appeared in front of me and I couldn't say no — those white petals, almost luminous, rising from a turbulent blue ground like something that refused to stay down. I worked the paint thick, letting the texture breathe, letting the blue shift from deep to light as it climbs toward the bloom. There's something quietly stubborn about this flower. Delicate on the surface, but it holds its stem straight. I like that about it.