Red Flowers and Thanksgiving

I found an image of a “red flower” and used it as a reference for this piece.  I’m pretty pleased with the way it turned out.  I like the painterly background, which really shows off the natural appearance of watercolors.  However, I have no clue what kind of flower this is.  A friend of mine thought it may be an azalea, and I see the resemblance, but really don’t have a clue.  Do any of you know?

I can’t write this post without acknowledging today’s holiday – Thanksgiving!  I’m thankful for a lot of things (family, friends, a job I love, a beautiful home, etc, etc.) but this year I have one more thing to add to the list – I am so thankful to have found a rekindled passion…painting!  I have found this year so rewarding.  I reconnected with art, started this blog, opened up an Etsy store, and to my surprise, I’ve even sold several paintings.  What a wonderful year…so much to be thankful for!