Trillium Watercolor Painting

I chose to paint a Trillium watercolor painting for my Flower Guide series for sentimental reasons. They grow in Montreal during May and June and are the flower of my home province of Ontario. All Trillium species have three leaves, three petals, three sepals and three-parted stigma. Two members of the Trillium family are depicted in this watercolor painting. The Large-Flowered Trillium which is the best known of the species grows best in damp soil in wooded areas. It has large white waxy blooms and the stem grows 10 to 18 inches in height. The Nodding Trillium is similar but the bloom can be either white or pink. It bends or curves down, sometimes below the leaves.

Pickering where I lived as a child was full of Trilliums and it was the first flower I knew how to identify. Children were told that they would receive a ticket from the police if caught picking the flower. Once the flower has been picked another bloom will never grow back on the same plant.

Layering wet paint in the background to ensure sharp clean lines around the white petals and prominent leaves. I used two complementary colors to also give an antique and traditional look to the painting.