Floral Painting of an Iris, Orange Beard, by Canadian Artist Kim Blair

Orange Beard
12x6 oil on canvas

Yellow and Burgundy Iris are an older, heritage variety that you see in almost every garden here in the Highlands, in Edmonton.  I have painted this particular variety from a number of perspectives. It's ruffled upper petals (called 'standards and style arms') have lots of interesting folds and ripples to catch the sunlight, and the orange beard is used as a 'foot hold' (do insects have feet?) for bees to grab onto so they can find their way inside the bloom to drink the nectar.
This little painting could be a conversation starter at your next party, but if an astute gardener had not consumed too much wine... he/she could easily figure out what the image is. 
Who needs charades!

I am adding a Haiku Poem to this painting...

Zebra stripes
golden edged petal
orange whiskers

SOLD
12x6 oil on canvas