Japanese Windflowers are known for their tall, graceful daisy-like pink or white blooms that sway gently in the breeze and flower in the cooler months. They are one of my most favorite flowers. I was delighted, therefore, when asked by a friend to paint some windflowers as a birthday gift for her daughter, Tahlia. The gift was to be a surprise, so photos were taken, in secret, of windflowers Tahlia was growing in her garden and sent to me. Working from a few different photos, I worked out a suitable composition and decided to leave out some background details - replacing them with a deep blue (a combination of Payne's gray and cobalt blue). The deep, rich background sets off the foliage and contrasts the white blooms.