Showing posts with label yellow flower. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yellow flower. Show all posts

Monday, September 7, 2009

Yellow Lady Slipper

Yellow Lady Slipper, watercolor, 14" x 10." $150 unframed.

A few springs ago my friend Linda and I explored the Thompson Wildlife Management Area in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. We were hoping to hike through the stands of 'Millions of Trilliums' that are unique to this particular location. As we trampled through woodlands transformed by the magic of spring, we were delighted to find several small stands of Yellow Lady Slipper (Cypriedum calceolus) and another unusual orchid, Showy Orchis (Orchis spectabilis) growing near the paths.

We returned the following spring to paint the Yellow Lady's Slipper from life, but my field sketch did not capture the graceful lines of the plant: its banded leaves, the spiral curling of the two upper petals. I put away my sketch for future reference.

This weekend I dug it out along with my photos and painted this watercolor as a companion piece to the Ghost Flowers. Accurate drawing of its complex shapes is essential to bring the plant to life.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

A Cactus Flower

Opuntia, watercolor, 5" x 9".
SOLD


This is a sketch done on location a few years ago, on the grounds of the Randall Davey house in Santa Fe. I love the delicacy of watercolors for rendering the creamy petals against the blue shadows, the way the shape of the flower is suggested.