hmm, I don't see the photo. I will try again.
Laura

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Laura, It's what pleases you or whoever you made it for. I like muted colors but my girlfriend likes bold and bright. That's why there's vanilla and chocolate! When I started painting some of my leaves had lots of coats of paint cause I didn't like what I did. If you don't know if you like it, leave it alone for a while and come back to it later. Are you trying for colors you like or a real leaf's color? Billie

Billie - I usually try for sort of "enlivened realistic" for my leaves. I am trying to force myself to branch out into something new and different (for me).
Laura

Dear Laura: I am brand spanking new to this site. I LOVE your leaf. What is the material you made the leaf out of? Is it pressed onto an elephant ear leaf to get the pattern? I want to be you. Please give me the recipe. I don't have anything yet in my yeard, and may not this year. We are still in the building process. So I peruse the garden websites drooling over all of these wonderful ideas. Keep doing what your doing. I love the unusual, some others like the standard look. In any case it is beautiful.

Laura, I like your colorful leaf, but I really like the paint job you did on the larger E. ear leaf you have in your album
bonnie

I love it just as is. It matches a rosebush my neighbor has which I believe she said is called a Disneyland rose. In fact, a woman on another forum has a pic of it--check six pics down.

Here is a link that might be useful: Disneyland rose example -6 down

Laura, I just looked at your leaves and I swear you have an optical illusion in the closeup of the large leaf. For the longest time, it looked as if the veins were raised, not depressed. It took the other side of my brain to finally see it as it really is. How neat. If you concentrate on the left side of the midrib, it appears raised, Concentrate on the right side, it's depressed. I wonder if others will see it as I saw it. It's at the link below.

Regarding your red/yellow leaf, in the closeup, it looks a bit blotchy but in situ with the plants, it looks lovely. I suggest you leave it as it is for a few days. If you still like it as is, stop. Seal it if you wish. I think you said the sealer you used gave a yellowish cast but I don't think that would make a difference on that leaf. If after a few days, something about it bothers you, mess with it some more til you're pleased with it (again). To thine own self be true.

Here is a link that might be useful: Are the veins raised or depressed?

Fleur, what you're seeing is indeed an optical illusion. Red and yellow colors, or (warm colors, such as the sun) "advance"; whereas blue and green colors (cool, such as ocean and grass) "recede". The stronger warm color is in the veins (advancing) and then she has some blue/green "cool" colors and the more subtle "warm" colors on the main part of the leaf (receding). Pretty neat illusion though. It's shiney and irridescent quality will also give it that illusion of advancing.

Sorry Fleur, I didn't click on your link and was assuming it was the red/yellow one but the yellow "advancing" still works in that case too.

What interesting comments! Fleur, I looked long enough for my brain to finally do the "flip" and see the veins depressed and raised. I love Lazydaisy's explanation about the optical illusion. I also wish I was better at getting roses to live; I would rush out and buy some of those Disneyland roses just to set my leaf next to. That may be a good answer to getting inspiration for new color combinations.... just go to your garden and flower pots and see what you put together in there and paint up a leaf to match! I have a big pot with cherry red lantanas and short zinnias in shades of vivid reds and oranges together. If it wasn't so dark I would run out right now to see how the leaf looks next to them.
Laura

Bonnie, I feel just like you do; the yellow leaf is okay but I like the green one next to it lots more. I think that green one is the one I like best of all I have painted. I plan to try to "copy" the paint job onto 2 more ee leaves of smaller sizes and turn them into a water feature.... big plans but maybe it will happen..
Laura

Hummingbird-hill,
If you will go click on the blue link in my first post you will be led to a photo album that will lead to 4 or 5 more albums of leaves I have done. You might find out something about how I made them from the captions; I can't recall how much I wrote.

The short answer is: mound up some damp sand in the shape of the underside of an elephant ear leaf - lay the ee leaf upside down on this mound (the sand will hold the "shape" of the leaf so the concrete won't just mash it all flat) --- mix up a kind of concrete called Quickwall that comes in a bag and is made by the Quickcrete company. --- using the concrete in a clay-like consistency, apply it to the leaf and pat it out til it forms a layer about 1/2 inch thick all over (thicker over the center vein areas) ---- put a layer of plastic over it and let it cure -- pull leaf away.

There are a lot more helpful descriptions in the forum and some people have written excellent tutorials with photos that show all the details of the process.

good luck - it is a fascinating activity
Laura

Are they done yet???? Only the person painting really knows for sure.
About the colors, I like them. They are bold and a spark in the garden.
In the PNW there are LOTS of variations of green in the area right now, so this leaf would really stand out, accentuating and highlighting the garden it is placed in. However in September as the leaves turn and yellows orange, and reds become the focus it will blend right in.
I try to take pics of colors throughout the year as samples to paint off of.
Happy casting, and experimenting,
Dena

Excellent job!!! Last night was my first try! I hope mine turn out a fraction as nice as yours!!!