Lilac

Clusters of lilac blossoms in blue-violet, mauve, and deep plum crowd the picture plane, their conical panicles overlapping among teal-green leaves and thin branching stems. A pale, almost white cluster stands out near the center, while looser, softer-edged blooms recede toward the upper edges, giving the mass of flowers a sense of receding depth.

Wet-into-wet washes of violet and blue bleed into one another with soft, blurred edges, punctuated by tighter, darker strokes that define individual florets. Teal-green shadow tones sit among the leaves, and unpainted white paper carries the brightest highlights. The loose, blooming pigment and airy palette give the sheet a fresh, breezy feel typical of garden watercolor studies.