I love painting flowers, put painting flowers in shadow is very difficult. It is hard to keep the shadow colors bright, fresh and 'flowery', not muddy looking.
Apples are famous as gifts for favored teachers, but an orchid would be a delightful gift from a student instead. 
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This was a summer like no other; warm weather, soft breezes, balmy evenings. My attention was continually grabbed by my garden and flowers. The amaryllis were spectacular. They reminded me of trumpets playing the Morning Call. They were always sounding off at me saying "Look at us", and I could not ignore them in their glory. I painted them on a 12"x36" canvas to make it possible to hear the music.
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