Twinleaf

Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla), color pencil, 8"h x 6"w

The Blandy Sketch Group is planning their 2020 Spring Show, and the theme is "Small Works." The size of the pieces allowed is a maximum of 6" x 8."  I usually don't do art works this small, so I've been trying to produce some pieces I can submit for this show.

I chose this native spring ephemeral plant, Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) because it's small enough that I could depict it life-size and still meet the size requirements.  The plant emerges in early spring and its elegant white flowers resemble those of another early spring bloomer, Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). The leaves are distinctive, and both the common name Twinleaf and the Latin word diphylla describe their appearance: two leaflets that unfold from the stem.

I worked from a set of photos taken during my spring hikes in our local forests. Using a white pencil to draw the intricate veins of the leaves first--this acts as a resist that prevents the darker green color from covering the white--made it easier to maintain the vein structure. The complex colors of the leaves were achieved by layering a variety of green shades with the red-purple of the stems and edges of the leaves.

I'm now looking for another suitable small flower or plant for a companion piece--there are so many lovely natives to choose from! The question is, what do I have in the way of photos to work from?

Winter Blossoms

Zelkova tree with snow blossoms.

A few inches of snow fell some days ago--the kind that clings to everything, transforming branches into fantastic sculptures of snow that look like blossoms. I was busy painting in my studio when all of a sudden, near sunset, I noticed the quality of the light change perceptibly--the clouds had lifted to allow a sunbeam to illuminate the scene! Such rare beauty is not an every-day occurrence in our area. I quickly got my camera and coat and ran outside to capture the magic.

My back yard in the snow.

In my haste, I didn't take the time to get a tripod, so the focus is not too great in these shots, but time was of the essence, as the effect lasted only a few minutes before the sun went back behind the clouds. The colors and forms of the snowy branches are so lovely, I decided to post the photos anyway.

The front yard.

The west side yard.

Front yard the next morning

It's interesting to study my garden covered with snow in the midst of winter--it allows me to plan for future landscaping by seeing how the plants give structure to the space: where evergreens could be used to advantage, or where there's a need for a bit of color, or an unusual form. I wish my winter berry hollies (Ilex) would fruit, their red berries would be a welcome color accent, but alas, with such alkaline soil, it's a constant battle to keep these acid-loving hollies happy. Eventually, I hope to create a balance that will satisfy both the plants and the eye.

In Celebration of Trees

Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea), watercolor and graphite.

Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore is presenting a show, "A Celebration of Trees" that opens on January 24 and will be on display for only two weeks. The theme of the show is--of course--trees, and the idea was for artists to focus on the many unusual species of trees found in the Cylburn Arboretum.

When I lived in Columbia, MD I visited Cylburn a few times, and enjoyed painting in their beautiful gardens. Preparing for this show, I visited the Arboretum once more last spring. This time, my focus was to study their trees and select one or two to illustrate. I chose two European Beech varieties on the grounds: a lovely Copper Beech shading the carriage house behind the historic home, and a huge old Fernleaf Beech shading the lawn approaching the home.

Copper Beech photo

If you look closely at my photo of the Copper Beech above, you can see a couple of the small reddish beech masts (the fruit or seed of the tree) at the ends of the branches reaching towards you. I'd never seen a beech mast close-up, and wanted to include one in my illustration. I was allowed to cut a small branch to take home for my work, so I cut one with a mast. The dark color of the leaves of this tree comes from the fact that the epidermal layer of the leaf is not transparent, and doesn't allow the color of the green chlorophyll underneath to be seen.

The branches of the Copper Beech appear very graceful individually, but overall, the tree's shape is considered somewhat awkward by horticulturists who prefer the more sinuous lines of the American beech.

Fernleaf Beech (Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla 'Aspleniifolia'), watercolor and graphite.

The Fernleaf Beech (Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla 'Aspleniifolia') is a rare variety of the European tree with finely divided leaves. This specimen must have been planted sometime in the late 19th Century (construction of the home began in 1863), maybe by owner Jesse Tyson himself. Its enormous, multi-stemmed trunk bears a resemblance to the American Beech's smooth and muscular trunk.

Fernleaf Beech in spring

I sketched this tree on site and again was allowed to cut a small branch to take home. Over the next week I struggled to quickly paint a watercolor study of each branch before the leaves drooped and began to curl. My intention then was to use these two color studies for larger, more complex pieces that showed both details of the leaves and the form of the entire tree. As usual, time got away from me while I was trying to decide on a composition, and I never got around to producing those pieces.

Instead, with the show deadline rapidly approaching, it occurred to me to present my two sketches for each variety of beech in a single frame--it would have a similar effect--and that is what I've done. I'm also including a couple more of my original field sketches in the show--the field sketches have a liveliness that is sometimes lost in the more finished works.

Field sketches of the two Beech trees.

If you have a chance, please visit "A Celebration of Tress" at Cylburn Arboretum.