Lady of the Irises’ Palettes, Palette 1: no. 82, 103, 108, 116, 117 and/or Palette 2: 7, 54, 84, 94 & 115

Lady of the Irises’ Palette
Two different sets of 5 half pans each

This gorgeous iris painting was created by Bonita Balster-Hendriks, and it’s part of her year-long online course PAINT YOUR HEART AND SOUL 2024.

The best part: the entire piece was painted using Art to Basic handmade watercolors, and yes, you can buy the exact palettes Bonita used.

So if you’ve ever looked at someone’s painting and thought, “Okay… but what COLORS are those?”, this is one of those rare moments where you can actually get the answer.

And I can’t wait to see what you create with them after learning Bonita’s techniques.

IMPORTANT
Use the discount code AU2IJTE at checkout to get 10% off Lady of the Irises, whether you buy one palette or both.

Palette 1: 82, 103, 108, 116, 117

Soft Lily, no. 82
A soft pastel pink that looks beautiful on its own, and makes surprisingly good skin tones too. The “quiet but powerful” kind of pink.

Juicy Pink, no. 103 (made by Sarah Gardner from @juicy.art)
A spectacular pink made from fluorescent magenta, bronze, and quin violet. It has that “how is this even allowed in watercolor?” energy.

Sparkling Rose, no. 108 (created by Bonita herself)
A very special rose shade with holographic glitter. It catches the light in a way that makes you want to tilt the paper around like a proud raccoon.

Coral, no. 116
Luminous and sun kissed. This is the color that makes everything look like it belongs in warm daylight.

Deep Yellow, no. 117
A bold, intense yellow with real weight and richness. It adds depth and vitality instead of just… being yellow.

Palette 2: 7, 54, 84, 94, 115

Fuchsia, no. 7
Pure vibrant magenta. Soft when diluted, loud when you want it loud. A classic color that always earns its place.

Blue Sienna Heaven, no. 54
A mix of Anthraquinone Blue and Raw Sienna, and it granulates in the most satisfying way. It makes washes look like they have texture and time in them.

Iris Purple Holo, no. 84
A deep purple with sparkling holographic glitter. Dramatic in the best way, and honestly just insanely pretty.

Grass Green, no. 94
A strong deep green made for flowers and plants. The kind of green that can handle shadows without turning muddy.

Earth Brown, no. 115
A dark brown with a lot of character. Useful, bold, and surprisingly versatile. This one does way more than “brown things.”

About Bonita Balster-Hendriks

Bonita Balster-Hendriks is a Dutch artist living in The Netherlands with her husband, her daughter Luna (7), and three cats (which feels like the perfect number of cats, honestly).

She has been creating since childhood, always carrying paper and a sketchbook, plus a graphite pencil, and a reference photo of a celebrity. She practiced faces endlessly, building her skills without even realizing she was shaping a whole future.

Later she became a primary school teacher, and like many creative people, she put her art life on pause.

Then in 2016, after a major life change and the beginning of chronic nerve pain issues, she found her way back.

She rediscovered drawing, then expanded into color and mixed media, and her creative life opened again. For Bonita, creating is both expression and escape. It brings calm, joy, and a sense of possibility. It helps her deal with the pain, and it gives her a space where life becomes lighter.

Today she works with watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, acrylics, and oils, and she loves experimenting with mixed media. She’s known for adding lots of detail, often painting portraits, but also flowers, insects, pets, and nature-inspired subjects.

Photo credit: Bonita Balster-Hendriks & Amanda Huffard