Three Black Hollyhocks

5.5x3 watercolor on Italia 140 lb cold press paper painted this afternoon quickly, brush only, so no pre-drawing with pencil and fretting over the lines.  I used a #12 round brush and the same alizarin crimson + thalo green combination for the black color.  The bottom blooms have quinacridone violet and UB along with a touch of carbazole violet in this imaginary old-fashioned garden.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Black Beauty hollyhock

30x22 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, done several years ago, and purchased by my friend Debie Pirkle.  She brought it to be reframed so I took this opportunity to take a higher resolution photo image for my files.  Today I delivered it to her new house and it looks right at home there, framed with dark brown and an orange-red inner mat along with custom dark wood molding.  This black beauty is my favorite floral from the studio garden and is one of those you hate to part with.  This painting is SOLD.