An Article in The Botanical Artist

In the summer of 2020 I was surprised (and a little nervous) when contacted by Laura Bethmann from the ASBA (American Society of Botanical Artists) who wanted to interview me for an article in The Botanical Artist, a quarterly publication of the organization. I so enjoyed the lovely conversation we had. And this was the result. Just thought I'd share. :) 

 

Adding an amaryllis to the accordion sketchbook~

I'm still plugging along with my sketching. I shouldn't really make it sound like it's a chore, because it's a very relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon, which is what I did here. I've added an amaryllis flower, leaf and bud to a large space in my accordion sketchbook. 

This flower was especially beautiful in form and color. My son-in-law had given me several bulbs last summer which I left grow outside, cured in the fall and took in this winter. It was a fun project, one I had never tried before. I've had several that have bloomed so far, and several that I don't think will flower this spring. Maybe in the summer? maybe next spring? With gardening--as with making art--sometimes surprising things happen that we don't expect.

 

Art spaces

Welcome to my studio! This week I thought I'd show you my current art making space and write a little about making time in the day for art.

During the winter and early spring I often move from my larger basement studio to this room upstairs. It's warmer, brighter and just more cozy. It's not elaborate but I have everything I need on this 5 foot folding table along the wall of my daughter's former bedroom. 

But a special room isn't always necessary for the practice that's so valuable in the in-between time. I have been taking a few pencils and sketchbook along with my portable drawing board to sketch while sitting on the living room couch in the evenings. 

No matter where I make art it becomes my "happy place" and I wonder sometimes why I sometimes find it so hard to go there. Maybe it's the fear of starting? Maybe it's the pile of laundry or dishes in the sink that need my immediate attention (or, so I think). But will 15 minutes away from the chores of the day really make that much difference? I think not.

So, I think it's just a matter of scheduling in a bit of sketching every day to achieve my goal of steady improvement in the art I make. 

And here's what's on the drawing board today. Working on color notes and sketches before all the flowers fade. More on that later ~

 

An Accordion Sketchbook for your nature sketching

 If you have an interest in sketching the world around you, here is an inexpensive sketchbook you can make yourself using only a few materials - a large sheet of drawing paper, ruler, a pencil and scissors, and a bone folder or back of a metal spoon.

Accordion books have been around for awhile. They can be elaborate works of art in themselves but they are just as beautiful as a simple creation that can be closed and tied with a string and easily displayed standing up on a mantle or shelf if constructed with a sturdy paper. 

There are lots of "how-to" tutorials online but this is just a brief overview of how I made mine. 

The first and most important step is to find a sheet of paper that will work well with the medium you will be using - in this case, graphite pencil.  I have used a piece of Strathmore 500 2-ply Bristol, vellum finish.  It has a bit of a "tooth" to grab the graphite so you can achieve nice darks as well as fine detail.  Any sturdy drawing paper will do.

I have measured the paper a height of 7" x 30" length. This made a book of 6 sections measuring 5" x 7" when it is closed.  Once the sections had been measured and folded, I used a bone folder to crease the folds smooth and flattened to make it more like a book.  You can also use the back of a metal spoon for this.

Now your book is ready for your sketches!  This would also be a great project for children.  A classy keepsake that is easy to display and easy to store. 

I'd love to hear from you if you chose to do this project.  Just leave a comment with this post - perhaps with a photo? :) 

Materials used and where I got them ~ 

Strathmore Bristol vellum finish

        

Derwent graphic pencils

Traditional Bone folder

My favorite art supply source ~ 

Dick Blick Art Supplies

Cotton branch drawing inspired by a childhood memory

A memory I have as a young girl is of a cotton boll Dad brought home one evening. I don't remember where he got it or of anything ever being said about it but I remember it being kept in a drawer below our hall closet. It was in a plastic bag and I would get it out from time to time to touch it and be totally amazed at how it much it resembled the cotton balls from the drug store. Living in the north never seeing cotton branches before it was such an unusual, fascinating wonder to this little girl. 

Fast forward to 2 years ago while I was shopping with a friend. We were in the home decor section and there before me was a display with container after container of imitation cotton branches, literally cotton balls on sticks. ;) Well, I thought I must make this my next project. 

So, I went to Etsy and, of course, I found a vendor called SouthernNature who sold cotton branches--the real thing! Not surprising because you can find everything on the internet these days, you know. 

In the photo above you can see the model, graphite studies in my sketchbook and detail of the colored pencil drawing. Such beautiful fluffiness and the structure of the opened seed case made a lovely contrast. 

When we think of cotton we think "white". But a closer look at the boll in its natural form shows many colors. I used a variety of pinks, purples and yellows as well. 

It was a very enjoyable project. And here is the final work with cotton branches I used for reference~

All that's left are the leaves~

With the work on the flower completed I am anxious to finish this drawing. But one thing I don't want to do is hurry when I work on the leaves. It's so easy to rush with all that green! 

I love the way complimentary colors work together. Using a purple-y red, in this case, FC Red violet, I go into the shadows to add a little glow and to tone down the green color. I have also used Dark indigo and Dark sepia in the deepest shadows of the leaves. The same greens and shadow colors were also used for the stem and thorns.

I have been intensifying the colors of the flower as the work progressed. When you darken one part of the drawing it's often necessary to darken another area. For the deepest shadows in the petals I used Derwent lightfast Violet. I was really pleased with the way this color worked out. Red violet was also used along with touches of Cold grey IV and Dark sepia.

So, this project is finished! I hope you enjoyed following my process. There is so much more I could say, but I thought I would share the basics. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments below. 

 

Drawing a favorite rose ~ adding color

The process is getting a little easier now that the desired composition is decided upon and drawn with detail and everything is transferred to the "good paper".  Now the fun part -- adding color.  

As you can see, I have cut out a rough outline of the rose in a sheet of tracing paper. I have learned that sometimes the color will travel in the process of drawing. And if I would get a crumb of colored pencil on the paper and rub over it accidentally it is very hard to erase. So this helps a bunch so that won't happen and the white of the surrounding paper will stay clean.

The colors I will be using have been chosen in my preliminary sketches and I will be using my color notes (upper right photo).  

I first use a medium shade pink to map in the shadows (left). This gives me sort of a map to follow. Then I follow with the darkest shades in the shadows slowly, with a light touch and sharp pencils, adding color layer by layer. 

I am mostly using FC Polychromos pencils with Process Red from Prismacolor and Lyra Rembrandt Rose madder lake.

 

Drawing a favorite rose ~ The Transfer

Now that the drawing is complete and I'm satisfied with the composition, it's time to transfer the drawing to a piece of Fabriano Artistico bright white, hot press watercolor paper. I like the smooth texture of this paper as well as it's ability to take many layers of colored pencil while keeping sharp details. This is very important to my technique. The paper is also acid-free to avoid yellowing. 

In this piece, I made my initial drawing in my sketchbook and transferred to a sheet of tracing paper to allow more light to come through. 

I sometimes use a "light box" that my husband had made for me. He's really handy that way and helps me out a lot. :)  But if it's a sunny day, taping it up on the window works great for me. The tracing paper goes up first with the watercolor paper over top. I'm using a Derwent HB pencil to do the tracing.

After I've finished with the transfer it's time for color! 

Drawing a favorite rose ~ sketching and color notes

Once I've chosen the flower and leaves I want to draw, I use a floral water tube to keep it hydrated and attach it to a clamp to keep the specimen upright. I have to work fast with these first steps because roses tend to wilt and lose their petals quickly. I also take many close up photographs to use after the flower fades.

First of all, I drew a detailed sketch - from the live specimen as long as was possible. I took measurements using a tool called a divider in order to make a life-sized rendering.

It was helpful to use a single petal as a guide while I worked out my color combinations. I also tried to replicate the fine details of the petal.

Here is the complete page of preliminary sketches and materials I used to make them. I have also added a detailed sketch of a single leaf. I like to draw a sphere with the lightest to the darkest shades for each color of the piece. It is helpful to make a chart of the colors and the order in which they are used. I've found that it eliminates a lot of frustration and time in creating the finished piece when I do this.

Next time, I'll show you how I transfer the drawing to the "good paper". 

 

 

Drawing Series of a favorite rose

Rosa gallica 'Officinalis' - colored pencil on h/p watercolor paper 

One my favorite plants in the cottage garden behind our house are the roses. I really love the old- fashioned types ~ lovely forms and scents. Probably the most fragrant is the Rosa gallica ‘Officinalis’, a beautiful clear pink with an amazing scent. It only blooms for a short while in late spring/early summer so I try to gather a few flower heads to dry for potpourri or just to fill a bowl of dried petals to scent a corner of the room. They keep their scent very well when dried.

I was happy to be able to do a drawing of a single blossom last year. It actually took a couple of years to complete as the flower wilted and lost its petals very quickly and I had to put the piece away to do other things. Thankfully, with the aid of photographs, a few detailed sketches, measurements and color notes I was able to get a good likeness.

I thought I would share a series of posts with photos and notes for anyone who might be interested in my process. I enjoyed the work so much and hope you will too!