One of the benefits of sketching the Nootka Rose was breathing in its rich fragrance as I worked. As roses go, it’s pretty demure, but the aroma is world class! Choice of Pigments The rose’s leaves had just unfurled and were a lovely fresh green, so I mixed the bright pigments, W&N Winsor Blue Green […]
Big Leaf Maple Returns
May 5, 2016 by · 13 Comments
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 […]
Simple Steps to Developing a Palette
November 12, 2015 by · 6 Comments
In my last post, Simple Steps to Choosing a Palette, I talked about a method I use to determine the pigments for my paintings. In this post, I’ll give you an example of how I go about finding the right mix to match the mid-tone of the leaf color using the primary colors in the […]
Simple Steps to Choosing a Palette
October 16, 2015 by · 8 Comments
Part of my task as a botanical artist and illustrator is to depict my chosen plant in not only an artful way, but as botanically accurately as possible. This means that the colors in my painting should be as close as possible to the colors in the plant. My goal is to convey the variations […]
Oregon Silverspot Butterfly
October 3, 2015 by · 4 Comments
Insects…the good, the bad and the ugly…they are all around us. Few of us stop to think that without them we would all perish because if we had no pollinators we would eventually have no food, not to mention all of the other myriad things that they contribute to the ecosystem. Now I must admit […]
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).