Lily Of The Incas

I love flowers. I used to love growing flowers, too, until the local mosquito population discovered what a tasty morsel I am. So when little me gets a bouquet of pretty posies, you can bet at some point the camera will probably come out, and I’ll take some time to play.

This particular image was originally snapped mid April of 2014, so I’m guessing this tiny lily was part of a birthday bouquet from my dear hubby. I’ve seen these guys in my arrangements from time to time but never knew quite what they were. After having some fun with it in Photoshop and Corel Painter the other day, I decided it was high-time I learned a bit more about them.

Internet research finds that they have an interesting history. Grown mostly in the area of the Andes mountains in South America, formal name Alstroemeria Lily, they are also known as the Peruvian Lily and the Parrot Lily. They are smaller than the lilies I’ve been used to growing and seeing … but as I read, and as I can confirm, they are very hardy … being usually the last little blooms to die in any combination floral bouquet.

According to Flower Info Dot Org, “The alstroemeria flower is best known as a symbol for friendship and devotion, and is often given as a gift to represent a longstanding bond between the giver and the recipient. It is also thought to symbolize good fortune, prosperity and wealth, and is sometimes presented as an emblem for good luck in new ventures and important life changes.”  You can learn more about these sweet little flowers by visiting here .

Original image captured with the Nikon D7000 and the 105mm Nikkor micro / macro lens. A bit of adjusting in Photoshop CS6 then lots of fun experimenting with various brushes in Corel Painter 2015 for a free and easy impressionistic-y look.

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As always, don’t fear the watermark … it will not appear on any purchased products should you happen to click the pic and find you’ve landed on my main image-website … where you’ll find lots of wall art and gift-item choices.  By the way, watermarks here and on my website are for internet display purposes and discouragement of image theft.