Great new book

If you're looking for the perfect gift for the tree hugger in your life, I'd like to make a recommendation. Nancy Ross Hugo and Robert Llewellyn have teamed up again (they also published "Remarkable Trees of VA") to produce an astonishing book called "Seeing Trees." You can order if from Amazon if you can't find it in stores. The photographs are incredible and Nancy's writing is delightful. Be sure to buy one for yourself, too!

My weekend's work

This is a branch of bittersweet that I started at Lara's workshop last weekend. I think I used the wrong side of the paper because it seemed a little softer so the edges of the painting tended to be a bit blurry. I loved the little grapevine tendril that was attached to this specimen.

This is a group of seed pods from the Golden Rain Tree that used to be on the grounds at Kenmore. Unfortunately it had to be taken down so I'm glad I saved these.

Magnolia macrophylla

I took a workshop this weekend with Lara Call Gastinger and painted this Magnolia macrophylla leaf. I've discovered a bit of a passion for botanical art but I did sketch this in my book first. This magnolia is huge. Some of its leaves are about 3 feet long and the blossoms are gigantic. This tree in in the Wilderness Walk at Historic Kenmore Plantation in Fredericksburg, VA (where I work). The tree is surrounded by other huge specimens and has to fight for sunlight. As a result the blossoms are often near the top of the tree and all we can see are the undersides. Last year, one bloomed low enough to see and it knocked me out. The common name for the is the Umbrella Tree and for good reason. It almost seems bizarre. I used watercolor on Fabriano Hot Press paper. The leaf and painting of it are about 16 inches long (tall). I painted it horizontally but when someone turned it during the critique, we all decided it was better this way.

a slender fellow in the grass

This fellow was sleeping under an up-turned flower pot in my yard. He stayed still just long enough for me to sketch him, then slithered off into the leaves. It was almost as if he waited for me to finish his portrait.

A sad day in the neighborhood

This baby squirrel had been hanging around my yard for a few days and Saturday I spent a couple hours phographing and sketching him. He had a crippled right front paw and didn't run or climb very well. I fed him pieces of apple and he stayed close by. I went inside for a few minutes and heard my nextdoor neighbor yelling frantically at his dog. I knew what had happened. The little squirrel's back was broken but he was still alive so I got the shovel and put him out of his misery. With his crippled foot, I know he wouldn't have lasted very long but is was horrible to have to kill him after spending so much time with him. Needless to say, I had a good cry.

Photos from 33rd SketchCrawl

Here are photos of the sketch crawlers from Saturday.

My sketch from the 33rd International Sketchcrawl

There were 6 of us and we started out in Market Square. I chose to sketch the backs of the row of shops that face William Street. There was a lot to sketch and I plan to go back. Beautiful day and lots of fun. I had pulled a back muscle but I didn't feel it as long as I was sketching. Talk about therapy! If you are interested in seeing more sketches from yesterday's crawl, be sure to check out the forum at www.sketchcrawl.com
There were people from all over the world and there is some fantastic work. Just be warned--it's addictive!

33rd Sketch Crawl

Just thought I'd mention the next International Sketch Crawl date is Saturday, October 15. We're crawling in Fredericksburg if you'd like to join us. Meet at Hyperion at 10 a.m. Write me if you've got questions. Check it out at http://www.sketchcrawl.com

Greek Church

These are tracing paper sketches I did for the painting of the Greek Church below. It is a long and tedious exploration (and I haven't even included all the sketches), but in the long run, it made for a better painting.


Here is the final outcome. It was done on hot-press illustration board using watercolors mixed with white gouache to make them opaque. The sky took 6 layers of paint to get the coverage I wanted. I think it was worth the trouble. The painting is 4 1/2 " x 3".

(Note to Phil: hope this helps explain my email ;-)

End of Summer

As summer begins to fade here in Virginia, I often cut flowers and leaves to bring inside to extend the season. I'm taking an online course in water-color pencils with Cathy Johnson and had great fun layering the colors in this sketch trying to match the coleus.

August 28th--the day after Irene

This poor dragonfly got wrecked in the hurricane. I found him clinging to a branch unable to fly.

Sacred Datura

This is a sketch I did yesterday of the Datura plant in my front yard. I counted 40 buds on it! It blooms at night and smells like vanilla. The seed pods it's named for have not developed yet but I will add them to this sketch when they do. The Latin name is Datura inoxia and is sometimes called downy thorn apply (from the Hindi dhatura), Indian apple, and sacred Datura.

32nd International Sketch Crawl

Yesterday was the 32nd sketch crawl and 2 of us ventured out into the heat. We lasted a few hours and here are my pages.

sketch crawl pg. 1

sketch crawl pg. 2

Catitude

This is a little painting of Alice I did at camp this summer. That's her signature look.

Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

This fellow was in the parking lot at work the other day. The top of his wing was iridescent purple/blue and the under side was dark with orange-red spots. So different and so beautiful.

A leaf for Elizabeth

My friend Elizabeth commissioned me to paint this Japanese Maple leaf for her grand-daughter. I have about 12 glazes on this little painting.

WV weekend

Here are some sketches I made this past weekend in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia.

Another Botanical Workshop

I took another botanical illustration class with Lara Gastinger at the wonderful William Cox Inn. This time we worked on spring flowers and I attempted a native columbine. I didn't have as much luck with it as I did with the seed pods in the Fall but it was still lots of fun. Unlike the dried seed pods, the flower kept changing so that by the end of the workshop, it was rather sad looking. I guess the trick is to paint on site and don't pick the flower. And work fast. I will not be posting an image of this painting. You'll just have to wait until I do a better one.