Using only one grade of pencil in a drawing is akin to using only one color when painting. You can create a beautiful piece with one grade but it is easier to get results, and more fun besides, with a spectrum of grades. I stick to one grade for sketching, but for a botanical study…when […]
Galls and Baubles
August 25, 2014 by · 8 Comments
The galls hung down like baubles on the branches of a Garry Oak tree that I encountered on my walk. I had never seen so many on one tree before, and was entranced by all of the colors, from greenish yellow to beige to burgundy/brown, and sizes from quite small up to one inch (2.5 […]
Meeting Friends in the Forest–Old and New
August 9, 2014 by · 6 Comments
I recently spent a weekend hiking and sketching in eastern Oregon with a group from Oregon Botanical Artists. The weekend was generously hosted by two eastern Oregon botanical artists so we could get to know one another better. We spent the first day sketching at an area called the Metolius Preserve, where an effort is […]
Sketching Tiny
July 26, 2014 by · 2 Comments
Travel is for fun, right? At least my kind of traveling is…so one of my favorite things to do on the road is to make these tiny pencil sketches in my journal. They are not at all demanding to do and give me a quick result before I rush off to the next sight. All […]
My Sketching Kit
May 22, 2014 by · 4 Comments
My sketching kit is constantly evolving but I’ve hit upon a system recently that works better than anything I’ve tried yet so I wanted to tell you about it. Actually its an adjustment of a system I learned at a Richard Scott Sketching on Location workshop several years ago. For too long, I have had […]
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).