Intermediate to Advanced, original pattern size: 8" tall.

SUPPLIES:
Small sea sponge
3/8" flat sable brush
1/4" flat sable brush
#4 Royal Taklon Detail brush
Small liner
Sealer
Gloss varnish

PAINT:
Ceramcoat Hunter Green
Ceramcoat Gleams Pearl Finish & 14K Gold

Americana Antique Rose, White, Burnt umber, Light tan or beige, Yellow, Purple

BACKGROUND:

Seal the box with your favorite sealer and let it dry. Basecoat the box with tan and let it dry. Using the sponge, pick up both burnt umber and Pearl Finish, and pat lightly over the tan basecoat. Be sure to turn the sponge now and then, so there's no repeat pattern. Let the box dry, and then paint the inside with gold.

Trace the pattern.

LILIES:

Add a drop of yellow to some white, to make light cream. Basecoat the blossoms with this mixture, using the 3/8" flat brush. Mix one part purple to two parts Antique Rose and shade the lilies with the 1/4" flat brush. Using the small liner, paint a shadow line along the front overlap. Wash your brushes.

LEAVES:

Basecoat the leaves and stems with Hunter Green, using the 3/8" flat brush for the leaves and the detail brush for the stems. Wash your brushes. Add a little white to the Hunter Green, so that it's just a couple of shades lighter. Use this mixture and the 1/4" brush to paint the sides of the leaves toward the center of the design. Use the same mixture and the detail brush to lighten the left sides of the stems. Wash your brushes.

Mix a couple of drops of yellow into the white-green mixture, so that it looks just slightly yellowish. Using the liner brush, paint the center ribs of the leaves and highlight the left side of the stems. Pick up just a little of this mixture with the 1/4" flat brush and drybrush stripes on both sides of the leaves, from the center rib to the edges. Leave a slight gap between strokes, so that the base color shows through as the leaf vein. Wash your brushes.

BOW:

Using the 1/4" flat brush, basecoat the bow with the same Antique Rose/Purple color which you used to shade the lilies. Mix a little more purple into the mixture and add shadows to the inside of the bow loops, the sides of the knot, and the tops of the streamers. Wash the brush. Pick up a little white and drybrush highlights onto the bow loops and knot. Using the liner, add white lines along the light edges of the bow.

PISTIL:

Using the detail brush, paint the pistils yellow. Let dry for a moment, and then add a second coat of yellow along the center length of the pistils.

When the project is completely dry, paint the box with a coat of gloss varnish. Modern calla lilies come in yellows, pinks, and lavenders, as well as the classic white, so feel free to work this pattern in other colors. For example, pink lilies shaded with a rose wash, or yellow lilies shaded with a burnt sienna wash, would be lovely.