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–Early Bulbs & More
February 23, 2016 by · 5 Comments
Here’s a little sketchbook fun with early bulbs…and a not always welcome garden visitor. These early bulbs are so encouraging in late winter when the cloud cover is thick and the rain drizzles over the bare landscape. One of the things I want to do with my sketchbook entries is to experiment with different styles […]
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 […]
Early and Stream Violets
November 20, 2015 by · 11 Comments
You might say that a trail of ants led me to these Pacific Northwest native violets and butterfly. Last year I painted the native, Wild Ginger featuring some ants crawling on its roots, which seemed appropriate since Wild Ginger is propagated by ants. I wanted to not only describe the wild ginger’s ‘personality’, or form […]
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 […]
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).