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 […]
Sketchbook–A Wild Rose
May 23, 2016 by · 6 Comments
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 […]
Camassia Fields Forever?
April 28, 2016 by · 6 Comments
At one time, Camassia meadows stretched over many acres in the Willamette Valley, looking like lakes of clear water from a distance according to the early explorer, Meriwether Lewis. Camassia quamash or Camas lilies grow in the Oak savannas of the Pacific Northwest, along with many other wild flowers. Camas lily bulbs were a staple […]
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).