Someone will be surprised this Christmas! (Don’t worry I have permission to share about it online.) This painting started with an inquiry last winter about a commissioned painting featuring Lupine. The client wanted the painting for the following Christmas and gave me artistic license in choosing the variety of Lupine and the composition of the […]
Lupines, Paper and Masking Fluid
September 23, 2016 by · 9 Comments
After doing detailed drawings, color studies and developing my composition, the next step is to bring the subject to life…to create the illusion of a 3D image on the two dimensional paper. So as I paint, my focus is on light and shadow, which is how we see shapes. Choice of Paper But before I […]
Starting a New Project, part 1
June 12, 2016 by · 9 Comments
Lately I’ve been a captive of fading leaves and withering petals–trying to use every minute to get them drawn and studied for a painting before they are totally gone. Drawings, color studies, and reference photos take precedence over anything that can be postponed during that brief period when the cuttings remain fresh. When they’re not […]
A "Waiting" Sketchbook
June 26, 2013 by · 6 Comments
4″ x 6″ (11 x 15 cm) sketchbook I call the little sketchbook that I carry in my purse my ‘waiting sketchbook’. It’s for doctor’s office waiting rooms, for before the movie begins or the curtain rises, or even for gridlock traffic jams…or when I am a passenger on road trips. It is surprising how […]
Columbia River Gorge Wildflowers, Assignment 10
July 26, 2012 by · 10 Comments
I spent three weekends doing a field study of the Catherine Creek area of the Columbia River Gorge, and these are the four wildflowers and one grass that I chose to represent this beautiful area. Of course, this is just a very small sampling of the many wildflowers that can be found there. The graphite […]
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).