After preparing my piece of Kelmscott vellum, the next step is to transfer my completed drawing to the vellum. When I was starting out on vellum, I learned much from other artists who shared their techniques. Here are some articles and posts that I’ve found particularly helpful:Kate Nessler’s article from the ASBA journal, The Botanical […]
Coastal Adventure
May 4, 2015 by · 4 Comments
On a recent weekend, a member of Oregon Botanical Artists hosted several of us for a two-day “Coastal Botanical Adventure”. We visited four different ecosystems in two days, all within ten miles of our base. On the first morning we hiked through deep forest near Fort Clatsop in the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. […]
Visit to Filoli 2015
April 3, 2015 by · 2 Comments
“Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life”–this is not only the motto of Filoli but where it got its name, taken from the first letters of this oft repeated saying of its founder, WB Bourn II. I think it is pretty good advice. I thought I would give you […]
Native Plants as Food and Medicine
December 13, 2014 by · 2 Comments
I have long been fascinated by the historic uses of plants, particularly the native plants of the region where I live in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, most of the native plants I have illustrated so far were used by native peoples as food or medicine. I feel I know these plants well by the […]
A Portrait of Asarum
November 30, 2014 by · 13 Comments
What are the essential things to know about Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum), and how to present them in a simple yet artful way? That was what I asked myself when planning this plant portrait. I edited my initial drawings until they were stripped of anything I thought extraneous. First, it’s a low, ground cover that […]
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).