For this part of the painting, I worked from a real flower held in a vase. I had to work very quickly while the flower was in full bloom and before it started to wilt. The decision to work from "life" versus a photo reference for this part of the painting was made while in the process of completing this piece and not during any of the pre-planning. There seemed to be some serendipity involved as I happened to receive flowers from a friend just as I was beginning to work on this part of the painting. I had been struggling for a bit, trying to get the right feel for it, when I noticed a rose in the arrangement I received. I knew then I needed to work from this beautiful flower. It was the right decision. Having the flower within reach helped me to work quickly through the night. Even the flower's scent seemed to bring things into focus for me.