Fragrant Peonies

We had a little clearing of clouds today so I painted the Peonys blooming outside, next to the deck. One flower has bloomed, the others are on their way. It's a fancy variety with very ruffled petals and appears to partially open, not revealing the center at maturity.

This flower was painted on Arches hp 9"x12"

They're huge and quite fragrant. Very bright pinkish red, magenta, violet with some yellows at the base of the petals.There's something old fashioned about these images to me. I did them very fast, trying to maintain some spontaneity without being overwhelmed. I'll keep trying till I get it where I want it. Not there yet! But they're really fun to paint.

This grouping was done on Arches cp, 10.25"x14"