Insects keep crawling in…through my sketchbook and into my paintings! I know this sounds like a problem that requires a quick search down a store aisle for a certain spray or powder…but I actually invite the insects into the picture. I want to indicate that these plants belong to a community, to hint that there […]
Sketchbook–Flowers of the Field
July 28, 2016 by · 4 Comments
On my walks through the parched fields near my house, the bright flowers of chicory and red clover stand out as fresh as the summer sky. I wanted to capture those fresh colors in my sketchbook, particularly the cheerful green of the clover leaves. And I’ve always been fascinated by plantain flower heads, with those […]
Sketchbook–Monkeyflower
June 23, 2016 by · 4 Comments
While hiking in the Pacific Northwest, I have become enamored with Monkeyflowers (Mimulus), after all they have such brightly colored flowers and a fun name too. I like plants with personality! When I saw this Monkeyflower in the native plant section of the nursery I snatched it up so I could study it more closely. […]
Sketchbook–Chasing Light
April 6, 2016 by · 4 Comments
Shadow, reflected light and translucency are all qualities of light, with translucency being the most delicious imo! The Akebia vine blooming outside my kitchen windows seemed a perfect subject for a sketchbook exercise in painting translucency. Although its tiny red flowers are usually easy to miss, when backlit by the morning sun, they glow like […]
Sketchbook–Winter Twigs
January 23, 2016 by · 7 Comments
On my walks on these dreary wet days of winter, it seems that nature is asleep and I see nothing but bare twigs and dead field grasses. Recently I took a closer look when I began searching for something to sketch for a sketchbook exchange project I am involved in (more about that later). I […]
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).