Paphinia cristata

This botanical watercolor is of a rather rare and unusual orchid.  Unlike many orchids, the flowers hang down from the plant.  As it is an epiphyte in it's natural setting, this is now problem, but when potted for cultivation, the pot must have large holes in the bottom to allow the inflorescence to hang down.  While the orchid is executed in watercolor, the branch it is sitting on is rendered in pencil.  This combination of watercolor and pencil is reminiscent of the hand-colored engravings from the 19th century.

detail (life-sized) from painting

Details:
watercolor on watercolor paper
size:  9"w x 12"h
in a private collection

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