A Canna Lily in Full Bloom

This is a gouache (opaque watercolor) painting on Fredrix watercolor canvas.
I used Winsor & Newton Aquapasto first, put on extra-thinly with a credit
car, because when I first painted, the paint crawled and beaded very badly.
This may be because the canvas was severaly years old. - The Aquapasto
created a thin film that allowed me to lay color down on the canvas surface.
I put in a lot of different hues of green and gold in the background and yellow
on the flower and let that dry. - After it was all dry, I put another layer of
Aquapasto on thinly with a credit card, but just on the flower. Then a put a thin
layer of a mixture of cad red light and peony red (Holbein). The medium allowed
me to create texture in the red, creating similar effects to those that one sees on
Canna Lilies, which often have bright, variegated petals. I love gouache!