I was excited to get the good news recently that two of my paintings were accepted into the annual Filoli Botanical Art Exhibition. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Filoli is a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is located 30 miles south of San Francisco. It is a country […]
How to Get Rich Color Quickly Workshop
February 18, 2015 by · 9 Comments
On a typically drizzly, bleak Oregon winter day, we sat in a warm, comfortable studio and painted brightly colored, exotic orchids under the tutelage of Heeyoung Kim. She had asked us each to create a drawing before the workshop of a deep pink or purple orchid with relatively few markings or a similar blossom. We […]
Instant Improvement: Critique and Correction Workshop
February 11, 2015 by · 11 Comments
A group I belong to, Oregon Botanical Artists, was fortunate to have the skilled artist and gracious teacher, Heeyoung Kim, for a 3-day workshop. If you are not familiar with her work, she paints gorgeously delicate depictions of plants native to the increasingly rare prairies of Illinois, where she lives. She teaches at the Brushwood Center […]
Grades of Graphite
September 6, 2014 by · 10 Comments
Using only one grade of pencil in a drawing is akin to using only one color when painting. You can create a beautiful piece with one grade but it is easier to get results, and more fun besides, with a spectrum of grades. I stick to one grade for sketching, but for a botanical study…when […]
2013 American Society of Botanical Artists Conference
November 9, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
In September, I attended my first American Society of Botanical Artists conference, which was held in Pittsburgh. It was a remarkable experience, seeing so much beautiful botanical art at the Hunt Institute and meeting many like-minded people. One of my favorite events was portfolio sharing which was held on the first day. Artists from all […]
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).