What makes your top five list of spring flowering trees? The Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is right up there on mine, even though I don’t get to see it unless I’m traveling to the mid-Atlantic or Southeastern U.S. where it grows. But what a beauty! Its huge white flowers are set off by glossy dark leaves and, later, its bright red fleshy seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife.

Tips and Techniques – I painted this study while preparing for the first session of my upcoming online class, Savoring Summer Sketchbook Series. We’ll focus on painting white blossoms, which are tricky on white paper because they rely on subtle color mixes and carefully observed shadows. For this version, I used cobalt blue, aureolin yellow, and permanent rose. Next, I plan to paint it again using cobalt blue and transparent pyrrol orange (PO71) to see how a more neutral gray changes the feel. My tip: reminder to experiment, both in your sketchbook and on various types of watercolor paper. It’s one of the best ways to learn.