Brazilian Salvia 'Black and Blue' Painting

Brazilian Salvia 'Black and Blue' (Salvia guaranensis 'Black and Blue').

Last summer I grew this tropical Salvia 'Black and Blue' as a potted plant on my front walk, and found that the humming birds loved it! Every morning during the heat of August and early September, the Ruby-throat humming birds would come to feast on the nectar of the lovely intense blue flowers. And the flower buds are, true to the plant's name, nearly black.

I started working on some drawings of the plant back then, but also took lots of photos of it in my studio as well as outdoors, knowing that I might not be able to complete the painting before the plant died back in the fall.

Graphite drawing - Stage 1

Graphite drawing - Stage 2

I started with a graphite sketch, as usual--one flowering spike at a time, then adding another, trying to keep the overall design of the painting in mind as I went along. I then traced over it to re-work the arrangement of the flower spikes to give a sense of the fullness of the plant in bloom.

Graphite drawing - Stage 3

After studying my drawing, I felt that the composition was too heavily weighted towards the left side; to achieve a better balance, I added one more spike facing right and more leaves.

Graphite drawing - Stage 4

I shaded my drawing to study the contours and shadows, but my composition still lacked a focal point. Eventually it occurred to me, why not add a humming bird? I don't usually include pollinators in my botanical paintings, unless this is the stated theme, but I wanted to try my hand at painting a bird.

I've never caught a humming bird in any of my photos despite the frequency of their visits--they move so fast and are notoriously elusive. But there were plenty of hummer photos available on-line and in my gardening catalogs to be able to find some suitable images for my painting.

Watercolor - Stage 1

After tracing my drawing onto watercolor paper (Fabriano Artistico hot-pressed 140 LB) I laid down the light washes of color you see on the right side of the painting. My palette of colors was fairly limited: Vanadium Yellow, Indranthrene Blue, Cerulean Blue Hue, Brilliant Blue Violet, and a touch of Quinacridone Coral. Then I started building up the color on the flowers and buds, and to show the intricate veins and contours of the leaves.

Watercolor - Stage 2

At this stage I began to paint the humming bird, using two reference photos. I completed all the work on the flowers and leaves before getting back to finishing the humming bird.

Watercolor - Stage 3

After I had darkened the feathers on the humming bird I remembered that I still had some of Daniel Smith's wonderful Interference Watercolors--green and red were the colors needed. A tiny bit of each dry-brushed on the feathers gave it just the right amount of iridescence to look convincing! Unfortunately, the iridescent effect can't been seen except when looking at the painting from different angles--it doesn't show up in the final photo.

Brazilian Salvia 'Black and Blue' - Final watercolor painting

The finished painting is shown above.

Spring Progression

Front yard on April 8

Last year I posted a very similar photo of my front yard with the Kwanzan cherry tree in full bloom. That photo had been taken on Easter Sunday which was on April 21. This year's was taken the morning after a big rainstorm on April 8, nearly two weeks earlier. Interesting that the seasonal spring progression is so much earlier this year.

The back yard on April 8

Double flowering quince

As the back yard beds become more populated, the whole ensemble is more floriferous: the narcissi and daffodils are naturalizing and spreading nicely in their beds under the Redbud tree, the double-flowering Quince is covered with blossoms, and both the Primrose (white flowers) and purple Bloomerang lilacs are loaded with flowers buds.

The daffodils and grape hyacinths are prospering, despite the squirrels' constant activity replanting the grape hyacinths in the most unexpected places. I particularly like the light blue variety, and there are also some white ones in the mix.

Mt. Hood daffodils and blue Muscari

Blue Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum)

The Carolina Silverbell tree is now about five feet high and with more flowers than ever before--a thing of rare beauty! I bought this tree from Wayside Gardens as a small sapling that was about 12" high. I notice that they no longer offer this native tree for sale, and am told they are hard to find. The tree will reach around 15 to 20 feet at maturity.

Carolina Silverbell tree (Halesia tetraptera)

Close-up of flowers

We planted two new native trees on the east side of the house last fall: a Downy Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier arborea) and a Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia). These were acquired from a nursery located in neighboring Rappahanock County. The Serviceberry produces small, edible berry-like fruits--I wonder if we'll get to taste these, since I hear they're a favorite of birds, and I'm sure the deer won't be far behind.

Downy Serviceberry tree (Amelanchier arborea)

Flower buds of the Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

I saw a Pagoda Dogwood on last year's trip to the Bruce Peninsula and thought it had such a beautiful form, I really wanted one for my yard, so when I found one at a local nursery, I snapped it up. It will be interesting to see what the flowers will look like, since the one I saw in Canada was not in bloom. These two trees will need a few years' growth before they begin to look like much, but eventually they should be spectacular.

Clematis montana 'Apple Blossom'

Another purchase from Wayside was this Clematis 'Apple Blossom' which I've been training on a trellis at the side of our house. This is the first spring that it has bloomed profusely. Another pleasant surprise was the early-blooming dwarf iris 'Bluebeard'.

Dwarf iris 'Bluebeard'

And this is just the beginning of the flowering season! Soon the other clematises, the roses and the Alliums will come into bloom. I can't wait to see what they'll be like this year!

Can Spring Really Hang You Up the Most?

Magnolia 'Butterflies'

Spring has arrived early this year, and with the current circumstances of "social distancing" we are undergoing, that lovely jazz standard "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" was on my mind. The song is about unfulfilled or unsuccessful love... but in the current upsetting phase of social upheaval, being hung up seems to be the least of it.

I find comfort and solace in my garden, where I can leave worries behind and take joy in my plants and flowers. The yellow magnolia 'Butterflies' continues to grow slowly to become more beautiful every year--and the lemony scent of the flowers is heavenly!

Glory-or-the-Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae)

Daffodils in front yard

The assortment of spring bulbs, Tazetta, and Thalia narcissus in front have grown denser over the years--more divisions will be needed in the fall. The Mount Hood and Prince Alfred daffodils in back are also putting on a show.

The grape hyacinths under the Zelkova tree are spreading, it's wonderful to see the light blue and white varieties I planted a few years back starting to multiply, despite the deer munching on the leaves. The Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides) with the larger leaves will bloom later on.

Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum)

Flowering quince

The double flowering quince is doing better than ever--I just removed the wire mesh barrier I'd put around it during the winter to protect it from the deer. The deer took their revenge by making mincemeat of the emerging buds of my Autumn Joy sedums, after chomping the leaves of the one Rhododendron I'd left unprotected. I don't mind them munching on the leafy growth of the daylilies since those usually recover, but they damage other plants so much, I must redouble my efforts next winter.

Clematis 'Apple Blossom'

My neighbor's Weeping apricot tree

 My new shrub clematis has vigorous shoots, and the "Apple Blossom' clematis is covered with charming pendulous buds. But the star of the day is my neighbor's lovely weeping apricot tree. It's so wonderful to see tender new shoots coming up everywhere--a sight to cheer the heaviest heart!

November Along the Potomac

November Along the Potomac, watercolor, 10"h x 14"w.

The watercolor painting above started as another demo in my current class on watercolor landscapes. This photo was taken a number of years ago at the same spot as another landscape I posted here recently: "River Bend."

The photo from which "River Bend" was drawn was taken in late spring, when the foliage was green and lush and the waterline lower. The cloudy day suffused that scene with a soft glow of grayish-green light. I went back to the same spot in early November of the same year, after many of the leaves had come down. The afternoon was bright and clear, the golden glow of the sun low on the horizon, as it is in shorter days of fall and winter, and the color scheme completely different: shades of golds and blues.

The challenge in this painting was dealing with the expanse of water--the colors and shadows in the reflections, and the contrast with the land masses in the fore and back areas. As is my custom, I painted the sky first, to establish the lightest values, and gradually worked downwards from the backdrop of  trees in the distance towards the shadowy foreground.

The water was painted all at one time, adding the colors of the reflections, moving them around, and lifting the lights with a brush before the paper dried. After the water was completely dry, I added the darkest details of the rocks and branches. I hope it conveys the lyrical mood of the scene.

Orchid Opening

Orchid Bud begins to open

Yesterday morning I noticed that one of my orchids which had developed a booming spike had started to open. I bought this orchid years ago at a roadside stand in Florida during one of our trips there--most likely a Brassia/Miltonia/Oncidium/ hybrid. The unfolding of an orchid flower is such an amazing sight, I recorded its progress with my phone's camera.

First, the sepals start to lift up, revealing the column and folded labellum inside. Gradually the sepals fold back and the two upper petals unfurl, revealing the burgundy and greenish-white markings.

As the petals fold back, the showy lip (the labellum) begins to emerge, with its white tip still folded like a pointed cap. Amazing how all these structures are all neatly packed into the bud!

Finally, the white tip of the labellum unfurls, revealing its ruffled edges. The flowers may last for up to a month, depending on the growing conditions. I'll now move it to our bathroom where the humidity will help it last longer. I find it useful to periodically move my orchids to different locations around the house--the higher light levels at some windows can stimulate the orchids into blooming. I've yet to coax blooms from my Cattleyas, I'm hoping for better luck this year--maybe even try putting them outdoors this summer if I can find a suitable spot.

February Gold daffodils

Outdoors, the sequence of early spring flowers begins--this week the February Gold daffodils and purple crocuses were out in force on warm afternoons.

Signs of Spring

Crocus buds growing with red thyme.

A few warms rains in mid February brought out the first crocus buds in my front yard. The first crocuses are always a hopeful sign of spring, and over the years mine have been spreading nicely under the cherry tree, in spite of the voles and squirrels that eat the bulbs.

Crocus clumps under the cherry tree.

Species crocuses.

This year a few of the yellow species crocuses actually bloomed--this color seems to be the most frequently eaten by wild creatures, oddly enough.

Below is a drawing of a bunch of radishes in color pencils that I did as a demo for a workshop at the New Day Art Center in Martinsburg, WV a couple of weekends ago. It has nothing to do with spring crocus,  but when I see lovely bunches fresh radishes like these and other produce arriving to our grocery store, it seems like another wonderful sign of spring. At this time of the year when fresh flowers are hard to come by, I rely on my grocery store to find botanical specimens to use in my botanical art classes and workshops.

Bunch of radishes, color pencil drawing, 7"h x 8"w.

Speaking of the New Day Art Center, I'm offering another workshop there on March 28 and 29: "Sharpen Your Drawing Skills." Talking to other artist/instructors I find that drawing is the skill most of our students are weakest in. Drawing directly from life is a challenge, but one of the most useful skills in an artist's toolbox.

Gallery 3, a New Teaching Studio

River Bend, color pencils, 9"h x 12"w.

Last weekend I had the honor to teach the very first class at Gallery 3 in Sperryville, Va, our new local art space--a teaching studio/gallery. At the end of last year, a group of us former instructors at the now-defunct Art in the Valley gallery in Front  Royal got together under the guidance of Sperryville artist Carole Pivarnik, who had a connection to another artist already using the space. Carole has done wonders to set up our teaching studio, creating a website, remodeling, and furnishing the space. I'm so happy to be part of this exciting new venture!

My workshop on Landscapes in Color Pencil was scheduled for the first weekend of the month, which happened to fall on the first two days of February. I had only one student signed up, which isn't really enough to be profitable, but decided to go ahead and hold the workshop anyway, just to try out the new place and get the ball rolling.

My student was a delightful lady of Japanese origin, married to an American, and already had considerable artistic skills, so the unique situation gave me plenty of time to develop my own piece, which I normally use to demonstrate the techniques in the workshop.

I had neglected to check on the paper supply in my portfolio case beforehand, and when I got there, found I only had one quarter sheet of Fabriano Artistico--my preferred medium for color pencils. I gave that to my student, and ended up using a piece of Bristol paper from a pad for my own demo piece.

It was a challenge using this smooth, rather slippery surface, and it took quite a bit of time and effort to build up the colors, but the scene--based on an old photo of the Potomac River taken one spring years before--was so evocative, I was determined to make it work. After the workshop was over, I continued working on it at home, and was surprisingly pleased with it.

I've gone ahead and submitted it to Art at the Mill for this spring's show, we'll see if they accept it. This year, Art at the Mill asked me to do a demo during the first weekend of the show, which I'm looking forward to doing. It's going to be a busy weekend for me, since Gallery 3 is having its official Grand Opening on the same weekend, to coincide with SperryFest 2020. We artist instructors are planning to do demos during our grand opening, there will be live music and lots of fun stuff, including the traditional Sperryville Rubber Duck Race down mighty Thornton Creek.

Please check out my other classes and workshops offered at Gallery 3 Events on the website--I'm offering a variety of botanical and landscape classes in watercolors, color pencils and pastels. Remembering that old TV show from the early 1960's: "Have Gun Will Travel," I'll be doing a "Have brush, will travel" weekend!

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?