Unfolding of the Cosmic Rose

Watercolor on Arches CP paper, 22"x30". I wanted to try out a couple new colors in this painting. I purchased some Ultramarine Red dry pigment from Sinopia Pigments, and made some up into watercolor paint. The pigment is a little odd to work with, requiring a lot of medium to keep from looking chalky. The pigment was labeled "Antique Pink," on the package, which describes it well. There is a slight earthiness to the color. In fact, when damp, the color has a definite brownish cast, which disappears when it is completely dry. This unfortunate effect had me a bit scared a couple times while I was painting. I wanted a somewhat earthy look, but not actually brown. I used the color, mixed with varying amounts of Ultramarine Blue, for most parts of the rose. Also, a friend gave me a sample of Daniel Smith's Rhodonite Genuine watercolor paint. I found Rhodonite to be a rich, velvety-looking pink that worked well in the darker areas, near the center of the rose. Other colors used on the rose are Pyrrole Orange, Cerulean Blue, and Quinacridone Gold. For the "cosmic" background, I first painted with Mars Black, then topped it with Daniel Smith's Sugilite Genuine, which has a lustrous lavender sheen.