I finished the painting of the iris. It is on a 20 x 24 canvas, and it is a departure from my usual style of painting. I started with a canvas that had five coats of gesso spread on with a plastic spreader, sanded smooth after each coat was dry.
I used a series of very thin washes to build up the main flower, and a series of thin scumbles for the background trees and grasses. I finished it off with several coats of clear acrylic matte finish. I don’t think I used more than a tablespoon of paint for the whole work. It has a silky smooth feel to the surface.
Fine Art by Don Whittemore 