Dogwood is a spring flower and in my estimation, you should use as many of the spring colors as possible. However, in this plate I used a combination of both spring and almost fall colors. It turned out to be not only an unusual combination, but I find it pleasing.

Colors used are:

• Baby blue
• Chartreuse
• Rosy Violet of Iron
• Mixing yellow

Next, I made my centers using chartreuse green and then wiped out circles for the centers. Then I made the inside of the circles mixing yellow.

I then made striations in the petals of the dogwood, making some of them turn back. Be sure to make the indentations of the petals rosey violet of iron, pulling into the petal to make it look like blood has seeped into the petal. After all dogwood is supposed to look that way.

I think the tale goes that it was a flower Christ touched just before he was arrested and the blood he shed while at prayer touched the petals and forever stained them, or something to that effect.

Next I added some yellow not only to my background, but around where I wanted my leaves to go. Also I added some very slight tint from the violet of iron color as the pink in the plate. Rosey Violet of Iron will fire pink if you use it very sparingly.

Wipe out some shadow leaves in this first fire and you are ready for the kiln. Fire at 016 or 017.

Second fire. Deepen the background where needed. Also deepen the rusty looking indentations on your petals.

Add some shading green to the striations in your petals and around the centers of your flower. Make leaves, using some chartreuse, and shading green and or black green.

Make your stems using violet of iron. Be sure to twist them around so they look like tree branches.

You can deepen as much as you like on this plate, perhaps you would like another fire. I think I have 3 fires on this plate. Padding your background also makes the flowers stand out a bit, but be careful, too much padding makes the background too dull as you are picking up the flux in the paint when you pad.

You can use your mop brush to soften the background instead of padding if you like that effect better.

The shadow leaves are what set the design apart, so learn to use shadow leaves well. Be sure to raise your last cone to an 018 as you will want to band the plate in gold to set it off.

Turn backs on the petals are either quite white or you may gray them with a little (very little) black green or shadow gray.

Dogwood are an easy flower to paint and they look spectacular when done well.

Have fun with this one and let me know how you like it.

I also highlighted the petals of the flowers with a bit of white enamel. This was done on the last fire.