Botanical & Flowers · horizontal

Starburst Lilies on Dark Green

Two white lilies with pointed, slightly speckled petals overlap in the centre of the frame. Dark red-brown stamens and yellow-orange centres rise from the middle of each bloom, and a cream-coloured bud sits at the right. The background is dark, blurred green foliage, and the whole image has a painterly, textured finish.

Someone wants this piece for the contrast: two pale lilies seem to glow against a near-black green ground, and the crinkled, painterly surface makes them look like brushed oil paint rather than a straight flower photograph. The pointed petals open like stars, and the dark maroon anthers and yellow-orange centres give the eye a place to land. Plenty of white-flower prints on pale backgrounds are easy to find. Few have this much depth and drama.

Artwork by Omaste Witkowski