Blog
2/16/2022 8:18:01 AM
I love studying the plant and deciding how best to get all the parts drawn to "tell a story" with the bud/flower/fruit/cross-section/bark and leaves. I learned Classic Botanical Illustration in Scotland at the RBGE after I had already been playing with watercolours for 20 years with a wet-on-wet style portrayal of fishes and tropical life when living in Hawaii. The washy-watery affect is what I love about watercolours but to make my paintings more "professional" I felt I needed more, some instruction, some way to create work that I felt good about putting a price on, proud of.
I have gone very detailed with my works from that time of study in Scotland but I never "felt" the flow, the plant coming ALIVE with such a tight detailed amount of time on the works so I am pleased to be able to loosen my grip again as I have over the past 6.5 years however I do feel my last work was a bit too tight again. Maybe it was the way the plant is itself, with so much detail, but for this piece I'm back to loosening up a bit but I just can't seem to help myself when it comes to showing some details! The flowers will be very detailed and the bark and leaves will be a bit more washy, the fruit will be detailed and some of the rough outside rind of the fruits too but some more washy than others. I'd like to get into "blurring" the edges of some areas too. Every piece I do is a further experiment from the last, never settling "right where I am" as an artist.
Not only does my exploratory mindset infiltrate my life with travel, but it infuses my artistic creations also!
Work in progress...a human becoming!
2/13/2022 9:15:07 AM
When starting a fresh painting, I have to study many sides of the plant to figure out how best to show off the flower & fruit! With the Pouteria sapote/Mamey sapote, the flower is shown here to be the size of a fingernail! It is also white-ish/light yellow so the backdrop of how I place the flower must be dark. I will be enlarging the flower for the painting and placing it on the dark green background of the leaves. I do not enjoy painting brown & greens so much (bark & leaves) and prefer to have most of the painting fruit & flowers and sky/backgrounds so this one will be quite a challenge! The outside rind of the fruit is rather boring with its beige rough surface like a cantelope. The work table I have this month is small and vertical so I dont have the option to have the paper vertical. Regardless, this is the fruit I have chosen because it is a species of tree native to Mexico and I am here for only 2 months so would like to "honor" that time with this works. I came upon this fruit for the first time last month in Mexico City and am always surprised when this happens for living in S.E. Asia and Hawaii, I feel I have been well-exposed to various fruits already!
The fruit is an excellent source of Vit B6, C & E, and is a good source of riboflavin, niacin, manganese, potassium and fiber. Research has identified several new cartenoids from the ripe fruit. Carotenoids are beneficial antioxidants that can protect you from disease and enhance your immune system. Provitamin A carotenoids can be converted into vitamin A, which is essential for growth, immune system function, and eye health.
2/2/2022 3:24:41 PM
I am now in Mexico City and am headed to San Miguel de Allende in 2 days, then I am excited to announce I will be cruising around the States for about 5 months! I plan to "make home" in Savannah Georgia for 3 of those. There is a well-known Art Collage The University for Creative Careers | SCAD) I may spend some time at, a very full & creative Cultural Center Classes and Workshops | Savannah, GA - Official Website (savannahga.gov) and a community based around parks, flowers, music, art, culture and old historic vibes with a bit of deep Southern edicate thrown in.
I have never been to Savannah and I was in a quandry as to where to go when my Mexican visa runs out March 6th so, I jumped onto AirBnB out of the blue and found the perfect rental. About a 20 min. bike ride out of the town is where I will be, and yes, with a bicycle! I really am looking forwad to this time. There is a Botanical Garden Savannah Botanical Gardens also and a few parks in town. There are ladies who lunch that are member's of various gardening clubs, the kind of events that have people vying for the best bloom and such, it all seems so quaint!
I predict I will be getting into some soft springtime blooms, the Camellia & Azalea are popular. I am enjoying being "back on the road" and carrying my art supplies with me in my portfolio bottom of my suitcase. Being able to spend a month here & there in Mexio is so fun and soon looking forward to a fresh community in Savannah too. I have a few family events after that come June however then I will be continuing my art journey.
Here's to fresh times, fresh adventures and a fresh palette!
