Showing posts with label Franklinia alatamaha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Franklinia alatamaha. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

The Fabled Franklinia

Franklinia alatamaha, watercolor and graphite, 13.5"h x 10.5"w

 

My painting of the fabled Ben Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) is finally finished. When I started this painting based on my field sketch last summer, I had been thinking of writing a post illustrating the process of painting it step-by-step, but as often happens, I forgot to take photos and ended up with only one intermediate photo, so that was not practical.

It's taken me a while to figure out exactly how to go about finishing this piece. I started experimenting, adding a few branches in the background to give a better idea of the tree's growth pattern using graphite pencil, so as not to detract from the one lovely flowering branch in color. I think this treatment works; the graphite fills in the background with a soft, silvery look that gives a better idea of the tree's habit.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Franklinia

Franklinia alatamaha, graphite sketch, 10"h x 8"w.



A couple of weeks ago I learned that the Virginia State Arboretum at Blandy Farm has a small grove of the fabled Franklinia alatamaha tree growing in their back acres, and the trees were in bloom. Naturally, I went there to check them out.

Following the directions, I parked at the back in the designated spot, walked across the road, past some large trees to a clearing where six trees of different sizes were growing, all of them full of flowers!


Franklinia alatamaha
Franklinia alatamaha tree



All of the trees were surrounded by deer fencing; I looked over the blossoms in all of the trees, photographed a number of them, and selected one lovely perfect flower for sketching that was about eye level to me. I'd have to draw while standing--fortunately my 8" x 10" sketchpad has a good rigid backing, which I propped up against the deer fence. Thus happily occupied the afternoon waned. As I was finishing, the sun started to come out and the temperature rose immediately.

 

Franklinia alatamaha tree

I put away my gear and walked around to take more photos, then wandered farther afield to see what else was growing near by. I saw three different types of Stewartias, another member of the tea family which encompasses the Franklinia as well as Camellias. I was familiar with this genus from a large specimen of Stewartia pseudocamellia at McCrillis Gardens when I was studying botanical art at Brookside Gardens. The flowers resemble the Franklinia's but they're smaller, and more profuse, making a lovely display in early summer. As it ages, the bark of the tree trunk peels in layers.

 

Stewartia serrata 'Hikosan Himeshara'

Stewartia koreana


The Arboretum had a Stewartia serrata 'Hikosan Himeshara' , and a Stewartia koreana, both past bloom, but with lots of seed pods, some of which I collected. The third species, Stewartia monadelpha, also known as Tall Stewartia, I've never seen before--it too was past bloom and with seed pods. I'll have to come back to this spot next year in late spring in order to see these trees in bloom--I imagine they are all gorgeous!

 

Franklinia watercolor - Stage 1

In the meantime, I'm working on a watercolor of the Franklinia based on my sketch and photographs. It'll take a bit more time to finish. I hope to be able to return soon to take photos of the tree as the leaves start to turn red, and still with flowers. Maybe I can collect some of the seeds then.