Red twig dogwood

I just finished this painting based on a photograph of a red twig dogwood I had snapped at the Tower Hill Botanic garden last fall with my parents and sis-in-law. At that time, I did not think it was that great a shot.

But looking at it from a painter's perspective, all the blues, and purples and bright reds and oranges against the bright white background just called out to me.
Unlike my usual process, I decided to follow what I had read about using the photograph only as a reference, making a few sketches and trying out the colors. It helped me decide which leaves to focus on, and which would only be a part of the background. It also helped me figure out which of the techniques would be better for this one. For example, painting the background image before the main leaves was making the leaves look duller as the background was shining through.
All in all, I love the brighter contrast I have in the painting. I feel I should make a larger version of this.