The hike along Cascade Head is one of the most spectacular on the Oregon coast. If you can tear your eyes away from the distant views of rugged coastline and crashing waves to look down at your feet, you will see an beautiful array of wildflowers blooming in the windswept meadows in spring.
Douglas Iris along the trail; looking across Cascade Head to the Pacific Ocean; Bristly-stemmed Checker Mallow in the meadow
The conditions on the steep and windy bluff are not conducive to drawing or painting in the field because the path is narrow plus the delicate ecosystem is easily damaged by hikers wandering from the path. Fortunately the misty overcast but bright weather was perfect for photography and I got lots of great reference photos.
First I do preliminary drawings on tracing paper. The semi-translucent paper makes it easier to create a composition because I can rearrange different features in layers, rather than erasing and redrawing them. I also tried out possible pigments to use and laid a selection out on my palette. For the petals, I used mostly Quinacridone Magenta and Quin. Pink, with Quin. Violet for the shadows.
Since the ‘bristly’ stem is a distinguishing feature of the plant, it was important to include the hairs in my depiction. I painted the negative spaces around each hair leaving the white of the paper as if the sunlight was making the hairs glisten. Pale green extended the hairs onto the white paper.
I pushed the perspective as far as I could on the leaves to visually minimize them yet keep them interesting. I wanted to keep the focus on the fading blossom near the center of the painting.
Bristly-stemmed Checker Mallow (Sidalcea hirtipes)
If you ever visit the Oregon coast, be sure to keep the hike along Cascade Head on your list of things to do. The unique ecosystem is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the home of rare wild flowers like the Bristly-stemmed Checker Mallow. Also, the Early Blue Violet (Viola adunca) which supports the caterpillar of the threatened Silverspot Butterfly grows here as well.
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).
Your coastline looks stunning, as does your painting. I particularly like the angle you have used for the bottom leaf. As you say it really moves your eye to the fading flower. Food for thought – thank you.
Thank you for your comment, Chris! We are blessed with amazing natural beauty here in the Pacific Northwest, and I’m glad you feel I captured a bit of it in my painting.
This post is full of eye candy Janene!!! The gorgeous shades of purple & pink paints, the white of the paper and porcelain, the greens of the grass and leaves – and your final piece of beauty! So lovely – Thank you so much for sharing another wonderful post it makes me anxious to get back to it myself 🙂
Thanks, Constance! I am happy that you found it inspiring and I look forward to seeing your next project.
This is such a beautiful study Janeen. The detail of the hairy stems is amazing and I love the varying shades of pink in the petals of the flowers
Thanks so much, Angela! I found the Quinacridone pigments to be useful for the petals–they are such clear and bright colors–love ’em!
I’m so sorry Janene,I keep spelling your name wrong – I think the predictive text is the culprit. I will be more careful in future!
Haha, no problem Angela! I have an unusual spelling so its confusing.
Oh swoon swoon swoon swoon. I’m really touched by this painting.
Alyse, Thanks for letting me know. I hope to communicate with my paintings so that means a lot!! <3
Perfectly lovely. The delicate, transparent washes paird with the bristlely textue of the hairs. I’m trying to image painting around each hair…something to aspire to.
Wonderfully informative blog. Thank you for sharing your techniques for creating such realistic flowers. I want to pick them up from the paper Great inspiration
Hi Carol, Thank you for your kind comment and for letting me know you enjoyed the post–much appreciated!
Gorgeous painting. How blessed with talent you are.
I have pored over the zillions of sites showing the checker mallow, only to see many different types that vaguely look similar. You are the first I’ve seen to add “bristly stem”, which is exactly what I have on my property. Thank you.
Carol Brandt
Carol, How special that you have a threatened species growing on your property! You sound like someone who will appreciate and care for it. I am so happy that you liked my painting.