To many I know a hibiscus flower might represent endless tropical summers. Up north where I live, hibiscus is the often the last flower to bloom while fall is setting in. While vibrant, I wanted it to feel lonely as seasonal changes are very introspective times in my life.
"Robot Manflower." 8x8 ink and watercolor. New discovery: Noodlers 54th Massachusetts Ink (watered down) works incredibly well for painting shadows/value before the watercolor. Watercolor does not disturb that ink! Drawn with a Pilot Custom 743 EF with De Atramentis Document Ink Black.
Sensuality, power and fertility - meditative layers and tangles of flowers, weeds, and grasses. A bee emerges, free! Ultimately a positive message of hope!
Magnolias are spring harbingers in our garden, as well as our annual ornamental cherry display. Star magnolias are over, tulip magnolias are in full swing, and the occasional Southern magnolia is starting. Perhaps I should have done this with a gouache paint, but I used colored pencils. Oh well. Outlined after with various sizes of Pigma Micron pens.
Our garden: www.edgewoodgarden.com
Oh boy, markers (NOT a go-to), least favorite color, and a subject that isn’t on my radar. This was a hard one what with 3 negatives going for it. But, hey, it’s a challenge, right?
Choosing a subject came first….we have a house full of Indonesian masks and sculptures. (My husband studied gamelon music in Indonesia.) Garuda, the “mount” of Vishnu and popular with Balinese artists seemed a good choice, esp. since he can be green, red, yellow or orange.
I rarely choose yellow/orange for anything---artwork, décor, clothing...though I do have a soft spot for sunflowers.
First I drew a bunch of images based on one of our wooden Garuda sculptures and then made a simplified marking pen outline and colored it with markers.
Annuals are encouraged to seed in the less formal beds in our large garden.
We tend them, photograph them, and I draw and paint them. This is a colored pencil (Prismacolor) drawing of one of our seedling poppies. It was an odd form. Not exactly a single, nor a double and lacked the common cross markings in the throat.
When I was planning this pattern I really wanted it to have a dark background. I built it in photoshop using hand drawn marker flowers but when I try to place them on a dark background it looks ridiculous!
Originally painted in watercolor on watercolor paper and then filtered digitally.
Inspired by Sara Berrenson and her book on how to Watercolor Flowers.