I love all the shading in the poppy and the depth and the color and just everything

The background color is perfect to set off the color as well

Thanks Vic!!

I agree with Vic, truly truly lovely.

Thanks, Marilyn.

This was a commissioned piece, otherwise the background might not be quite as blah. But it is huge, so it was much easier to paint it this way.

Sure would be the perfect painting for the "remembrance poppy".
I hope it was commissioned to someone in honor of someone(s) else. It's excellent!

Shoe

Shoe, thanks. High praise and much appreciated.

Actually the buyer wanted a 'big, red, flower' and I chose the Flanders poppy because it has been on my mind this year. Maybe my own 'remembrance' inspired it - I'd just written the Poppy article for Memorial Day, so poppies were right there in front of my thoughts.

Great!
And I'm sure it was your article that jogged my memory, too. That plus this past year at our farmers' market one of our volunteer groups that set up there occasionally were selling/donating poppy pins to people as a fundraiser. It was the first time in years I'd seen people sporting them in their button holes, collars, etc. (edited cus I keep leaving out words. arrgh. It's this speedtyping and slow thinking; or is it slow typing and speedthinking?)
Again, great painting! Ya done good! :>)

Shoe

You know, I have had no luck getting them to grow here. They grew at my Great Grandmother's farm in Bardstown, KY, came up wild around the cornfield, but I've had not a one to grow here. Might have been the seeds I used, but I brought them from Bardstown. Maybe one day they'll pop up and surprise me, ya reckon?