This beautiful flower, called Champagne Lace was named the rhododendron of the year for 2016 by the American Rhododendron Society. In this picture  I attempted to be as botanically accurate as possible showing the flower in full bloom. Because we are dealing with a very light colored flower I have painted the shadows in the flower first. The veining and shading require a great deal of patience but the results are worthwhile. For a free lesson on how to paint this cardinal either as a beginner or an advanced painter, please see the following link…. Rhododendron Art Lesson.