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–Quince Fruit
September 30, 2016 by · 6 Comments
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 […]
Lupines, Paper and Masking Fluid
September 23, 2016 by · 9 Comments
After doing detailed drawings, color studies and developing my composition, the next step is to bring the subject to life…to create the illusion of a 3D image on the two dimensional paper. So as I paint, my focus is on light and shadow, which is how we see shapes. Choice of Paper But before I […]
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 […]
Starting a New Project, part 1
June 12, 2016 by · 9 Comments
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 […]
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).