Iris II

A lone iris takes center stage in this oil painting by Raquel Alvarez Sardina, set against a gentle wash of pale blue. Painted in 2010, the flower glows in shades of purple and deep magenta, with small dabs of yellow at its heart that stand in for the fuzzy beard that gives bearded irises their name. Sardina worked with loose, assured brushstrokes and chose not to blend them into smoothness, so the petals seem to twist and drift as though caught in a light wind.

Much of the painting's charm comes from how little it tries to do. Giving one bloom so much room to breathe turns an ordinary garden flower into something worth pausing over. The lower petals fold and hang with a bit of drama, while the slim green stem keeps the whole thing anchored. Honest and unfussy, this is a painting that finds quiet pleasure in a single stem rather than reaching for grand effect.