Some of you may remember this Acer macrophyllum leaf I started…gulp…well over a year ago! I put the painting away to work on some other projects, and the dried leaf has been patiently waiting all this time, hanging from a ‘third hand’ device on my table! Luckily a gentle blow every now and again has mostly kept the dust at bay!
Well, I finished it at last–what a relief! When I started, I had no idea how many veins, undulations and subtle color gradations could exist in a dried leaf…now I know! Sometimes I felt I was painting an eagle’s eye view of a landscape, with its mountains, valleys and crevices.
“Bigleaf Maple Detritus in a Winter Gale” watercolor on vellum by J S Walkky
I picked up this leaf of one of our PNW native Maples after a blustery winter storm because its curving shape made it look like it was still in motion. As I planned my composition, it occurred to me that the traditional white background of botanical paintings could be used to suggest wind by including samaras (those ‘helicopter seeds’) and other bits whirling around above the leaf. I felt around under the blanket of leaves on the ground and found some that were nicely half-rotted from the preceding storms and cold weather. I wanted to convey that the crisp, weathered leaf was rising again to twirl in the wind. I love to tell stories with my paintings, and to suggest action in this stationary medium.
Now its time to clear off my worktable and thoroughly clean my studio, which is my habit after completing a painting. (Fortunately I finished other paintings in the meantime so at least cleaned a few times during the year while I worked on this off and on!) I store my preliminary drawings, record the pigments used in the painting, and make notes about the process and date completed in a large sketchbook.
I store my drawings, record the pigments used and any notes after completing each painting. These records have come in very handy as a reference to look back to when planning paintings with similar colors.
Now its time to jump headlong into spring–I’ve already got my next painting in the planning stages, but more about that soon!
This blog is about my journey as a botanical artist--what I am learning, what inspires me and what I am currently drawing or painting. My desire is to continually hone my skills to better express my wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the creation around me in the Pacific Northwest (USA).
Love it! It comes right off the page and has the exact texture of a dried up leaf. I feel like I can grab it and crush……and no I wouldn’t dare.
deb
Deb, Ha–I’ve still got the actual leaf on my work bench and am looking forward to that crunch when I say goodbye! 😉 Glad that you like the painting!!
So beautiful! I love the richness of the brown tones and your description of the ‘eagles eye view’ is so perfect! Both open my eyes and my imagination to a new appreciation of nature! Well done!!
Aww, thanks so much Gail! It’s great that we can appreciate nature together–I think Mom was a great example to us in that regard…and so many others!
This is incredibly beautiful, Janene. I, too, connect with your description of the “eagle’s eye view of a landscape, with its mountains, valleys and crevices.” There’s a lot of movement and energy in your painting of dried and decaying vegetation.
Thank you, Vicky–your kind comments mean a lot to me!
Aww, so beautiful, Janene! Incredible the amount of life and beauty you have captured out of decay.
Alyse, “Beauty out of decay”–you have a way with words! Thanks!! 🙂
Wonderful! And I love the composition as well
I appreciate your comment, Angela–thanks so much!!
What a lovely idea about the sketchbook – I always seems to lose my colour practice scraps of paper and they would be so useful to have in one place. I will definitely try that. Your maple leaf if beautiful!
We are in late autumn here, this is the perfect idea of what can be done at this time of year. Just love the composition
Hi Elizabeth, The great thing about painting dried leaves is that they won’t wilt or fade like flowers do, so you can take your time…and even take breaks…and your leaf will be waiting. After having this one on my work table for over a year, I haven’t had the heart to throw it out yet although the painting is finished. But it will be time to say good-bye to it soon…really it will…