Single Peonies – Painting of the Week

Making your Center of Interest Stand Out

The Single Peonies in this painting grow on bushes. Unlike our Double Peonies which are common in the Midwest, the layers of petals open up flatter, more like a Daisy. Their dramatic centers are much more exposed and create interesting shadows on the petals. Do you ever hold a flower up to your face? It is a precious feeling.

Single Peonies, was part of my lesson plan in my video – Building your Center of Interest. It is an S-curve composition- see how your eye moves through the white shapes of the flowers like an S. The size of the shapes is important for the center of interest has to stand out. The largest flower grabs the most attention and has the most room to exploit details and therefore is the most dramatic.  This is accented by the contrast of having the darkest darks around its lightest lights. It is placed near but not in the center of the painting. The proportion of leaves to flowers is uneven and we have overlapping and interlocking shapes- some pointing to the next place to look. The border provides a playful addition and interesting way to play, creating 6 corners in the piece.

Sincerely,

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P.S. $25.00 Early bird special is available for Beginning Watercolor – May 14-16 in Fargo

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Gouache Demonstration at Artists Center

Training Session – watercolor and gouache by Ellen Jean Diederich

Please join me for my free Gouache Demonstration, scheduled at the Artists Center in Palm Desert.

• Demo Title: Gouache: An opaque water-based medium
• Demo Date: Feb 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM until 01:00 PM
• Location: The Artists Center
  72-567 Highway 111, Palm Desert CA

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