A Journey to Oregon’s Carnivorous Plants

A Journey to Oregon’s Carnivorous Plants

I finally decided to get serious in my search for Oregon’s cobra lily, Darlingtonia californica. I have been looking for specimens in local nurseries for several years to no avail. So where to start my search? Well…Facebook of course! I found group of dedicated, talented and generous carnivorous plants lovers and as soon as I […]

Farmer’s Market Series: Jimmy Nardello Peppers

Farmer’s Market Series: Jimmy Nardello Peppers

I’ve been wanting to make a series of vegetable paintings with roughly geometric compositions…not the perfect symmetry of say, Ernst Haekel‘s compositions, but something funkier befitting to veggies. The first painting in the series is a round cabbage, so next I wanted something more linear as a contrast. These peppers reminded me of calligraphic strokes…rather […]

The Primaries: Oregon Grape

The Primaries: Oregon Grape

Pigments Used For those of you who are interested, the pigments I used were primary colors as well. I added a few dabs of other pigments here and there but the basics were my brightest yellows for the blossoms, Hansa Yellow Medium, Winsor Yellow, Winsor Lemon with Gamboge for the shadows. The leaves were Hansa […]

Sketchbook Exchange–Accordion Style

Sketchbook Exchange–Accordion Style

Sketchbook exchanges can be a source of inspiration, encouragement and sharing ideas, in other words, building artistic community.   At least that is the experience of a group I belong to, Oregon Botanical Artists, an Artists Circle under the auspices of the American Society of Botanical Artists.  We are on our third sketchbook exchange, and […]

A Wild Rose, Rosa nutkana

A Wild Rose, Rosa nutkana

Something catches your eye and you just have to take your chances with it…that’s how it was on a bleak winter day when I was walking across a field of dried grasses. The dense cloud cover made everything look even greyer than it would have otherwise appeared. But I noticed something glowing red in the […]