One of my all time favourite flowers to paint.

A magnolia in full bloom is a magnificent flower.

Their petals are not fragile or papery; but instead hold a luxurious, weight to the touch, curving inward. Their colour isn’t a stark, clinical white, but a warm, decadent hue—the shade of fresh heavy cream, whipped milk, or warmed vanilla bean, often tinged at the very base with a blush of faint, dusty rose or bruised plum.

At the heart of these sprawling petals lies a dense, crown-like core.  And the perfume it releases is a heavy, intoxicating perfume of sweet honey laced with sharp lemon zest and warm vanilla, thick enough to cling to the still, humid air.