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 […]
Sketchbook–Monkeyflower
June 23, 2016 by · 4 Comments
While hiking in the Pacific Northwest, I have become enamored with Monkeyflowers (Mimulus), after all they have such brightly colored flowers and a fun name too. I like plants with personality! When I saw this Monkeyflower in the native plant section of the nursery I snatched it up so I could study it more closely. […]
Sketchbook–Chasing Light
April 6, 2016 by · 4 Comments
Shadow, reflected light and translucency are all qualities of light, with translucency being the most delicious imo! The Akebia vine blooming outside my kitchen windows seemed a perfect subject for a sketchbook exercise in painting translucency. Although its tiny red flowers are usually easy to miss, when backlit by the morning sun, they glow like […]
Artist’s Block? (version two, part one)
March 28, 2014 by · 1 Comment
I recently got a question from a reader that went like this: “I have heard about “writer’s block” but is there such a thing as artist’s block? I recently retired, have all the time in the world, the colored pencils, the water colors, all the supplies, and I can’t get going. It is like a […]
Fritillaria meleagris, SBA Diploma Portfolio
March 28, 2013 by · 6 Comments
There is something rather flamboyant about Fritillaria, perhaps it is that the leaves can be alternate, opposite or whorled or sometimes all of the above, like they can’t be constrained by the ordinary rules. Or perhaps it is the outlandish spots on some of them, particularly the F. meleagris. Don’t they know that plants should […]
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).