We have an old gnarled Quince tree (Cydonia oblonga) in our garden that produces an abundant crop of fruit each year. We propped up the main branches recently lest they become so bowed down with fruit that the tree finally topples over. Quince trees have been in cultivation for millennia, in fact as a Greek […]
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 […]
The Weaving of Plants and People
May 29, 2015 by · 8 Comments
I am fascinated by connections…the many ways people connect with one another, the complex interdependency found in nature and the threads of history that makes themselves felt through time. I’ve been reading David Douglas: A Naturalist at Work by David Nisbet, which describes the travels, observations and collecting of that intrepid Scot, David Douglas. He […]
The Awkward Stage
April 24, 2015 by · 4 Comments
My paintings always seem to go through an awkward stage…sort of like adolescence. At this stage, things are not in balance yet, the painting’s full character has not yet been revealed. Will it fulfill the dreams I had for it or does the path I’ve set it on lead to disaster…? Only time will tell. […]
Some More Little Things I’ve Learned
March 19, 2015 by · 4 Comments
Here are some more little things I’ve learned over the past year. Since graduating from SBA two years ago, most of my work has been on vellum, but I rediscovered the pleasure of watercolor washes on paper while working on a commission this autumn. For those unfamiliar with vellum, it is a type of parchment […]
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).