science sketching

Starting to sketch our unique native plants, like the lovely Hackelia spp., to dip a toe into scientific illustration.  Plus these plants are so visually interesting, how can I not?  Those strigose leaves (aka- covered with short hairs) put them in the spot light.

 Hackelia venusta illustration, with details of their slightly longer hairs.

Sketch of a Sisyrinchium idahoense flower, with bracts and leaf below.  As I help wrap up a  morphology study, I can't help but draw these lovely "grass" flowers.

Folds of Pink

The moment a delightful British professor of mine described the sex organs (pistals and stamen) of plants as their "naughty bits" I knew I just HAD to make a painting series of these botanical naughty bits.  Some flowers have truly amazing organ structure or color.  There's a milk weed vine with silver (SILVER!!) stamen, shining inside the center of a mottled green flower.  The wonders never cease in the plant world.  Or any other natural world, for that matter.  SCIENCE! :)

This is the first of my sexy botanical series, a Washington magnolia flower with upright pistal stalk & squared stamen cluster below.

"Folds of Pink", oil on canvas

Note the details, dusting of pollen that have fallen on the petals, and how the petals sort of glow in the light.  Love that shine they get, tried to capture it.  What flower is next in line for the skirt-lifting?

The First Tree Painting

"Through the Trees", oil on canvas painted a few years ago.  

It depicts the wandering branch growth pattern that I love in the live oaks (Quercus virginiana) of Texas.  These oak branches were on the Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin, TX, where I did a field ecology class.  I just love the look of light coming through tree branches and leaves. And the different patterns different species make in the sky.  Not sure if it's the botanist in me, or the artist.  Using both cerebrum hemispheres equally I think, took a test once on that in middle school.  

This is the first painting my mother wanted to steal.  But I held it tight.  It's something special to me.  I plan to do many more with different trees.  Seattle, WA has some very lovely trees!  Or if you're a true-cast plant person, SEXY trees.  Those vine maples are FLIR-ty...

Jumping back into the canvas

I worked long and hard to earn my master's degree in ecological restoration, and now I finally have the chance, with a little more free time, to tackle the empty and half-done canvases I've had sitting around.  At last!  Just like the call of soil to my botanist's hands, the oil paint has been whispering my name, renewing that dull ache in the base of my spine.  While the job search and interviews continue, I can relax at last, with my old painting pals, and get a different kind of dirty.  Tasks at hand now are the second in my collection of "Naughty Bits" paintings of flower 'genitalia', and a birch tree landscape request for the mum.

More to come, and hopefully soon.