Your world for the moment
Too rainy, too humid, too buggy, too many other things to do; so it is that August is nearly over and I haven’t sketched in my garden since June. Determined not to miss the purple hyacinth vine climbing over the garden arbor, inviting me in as intended, I finally took pen and paint to paper. Thank goodness. In the process, I got lost in shades of lavender and magenta, and found a lovely world for the moment. What a good reason to become a gardener or an artist, or both.
Tips and Techniques- I like picking a single flower species and sketching it many times on the same page. I look for some choice blooms as well as ones that are starting to fade or have already gone to seed. Not only do I like learning about the plant, but I also enjoy the challenge of creating a pleasing composition with repeating forms, patterns, and colors. Give it a try. Pick one of your favorite blooms and really look at it. Take Georgia O’Keefe’s words to heart and make it your world for the moment.
HEADS UP! Winslow Art Center is offering a month of free events during September as a show of appreciation to its class participants and an introduction to its programming. Everyone is welcome to sign up– not just former students. Check out the great lineup. I am offering Facing Birds Head On, on September 17.
Drawn In 
Your line and composition are exquisite. I love your posts.
Thank you Ashley!
Purple and green is one of my favorite color combos! This is just lovely, both the painting and the words. I think I know what flower to plant in my garden next. Thanks for the inspiration!
Purple and green are a great combination. The purples are so varied on these flowers, they were fun to do…and they make a nice entry to my garden, too. Enjoy your painting.
Lovely composition! Once again good advice. Often I put too many different things on one page. Albeit, it looks fine for the most part. But your suggestions make sense. I’ll give it a go.
Painting a lot of different flowers is great, too…I don’t mean to imply otherwise. This is just an alternative that can be instructive and lovely. Enjoy!
Your posts make a wonderful start to a Sunday morning! Always informative and inspiring and a treat for the eyes.
This quotation is so true. I love this sketch and your approach to capturing the complexities of a vine. And thanks for the reminder to grow hyacinth beans!
I’ve been wanting to tackle a sketch of the scarlet runner beans in my garden, which are visited regularly by hummingbirds! So your tips are timely!
My scarlet runner beans are interspersed with the hyacinth vine. The greenery is nice together, but my runner beans are not blooming well this year. Have fun sketching yours!
I love everything about this!!! Beautiful! I had never heard of a hyacinth vine before…..flowers, yes…but the “vine” is new to me…….very nice!
Look it up– It’s easy to grow. I had not heard of it either, but saw the bean pods and a few blooms in a roadside garden while taking a walk a couple of years ago. I picked a pod and saved the seeds, then grew the vine the following summer. I bought fresh seeds this year and the plants are doing well. You might try it if you have a sunny spot.
Oh I sure do…… I just might have to do that!😊
Hi Jean,
I love this beautiful page. You are always so generous with your tips and techniques , thank you. Thank you also for the heads up about your Winslow Art Center workshop in September, I’m looking forward to Facing Birds Head On!!!
Thanks for writing, Tricia. Glad you can take advantage of the program in September. It should be fun!
Too hot, too smokey, too many people… I have not sketched since June either!!! Never have I gone so long, but yes other projects did get done — your lovely sketch made me itch for my pen again!! So beautiful, and the cool air means I can sit on my back deck again! What a summer….
I know, hasn’t it been a heck-of-a-summer? I hope the fall is more “normal” for both of us. Back to the garden!
So far so good for the fall, rain is returning to the thirsty rainforest earth!!! And some really nice blue sky days too… whew…
Oh…glad to hear! I’m sure you are glad to have some rain.
That is a beautiful page, it really gets the essence of the twining bean flowers. Mauves/purples are the hardest colours to make I find, these are beautiful!
Thanks Anna. I did color tests awhile back for mixing purples and I retested before doing this. I’m often surprised that combinations I think should work well don’t, and others that I almost wouldn’t try turn out well. I have quin magenta in my kit now and hardly ever use it, but it turns out to be just the ticket for mixing the color of many purple flowers.
That’s very useful Jean, I think I need to add quin magenta to my kit too. When I’m out sketching in the bush I feel very frustrated at not being able to really match the colours of flowers that I find. There’s a surprising number of purple and mauve flowers out there!
August can be so frustrating somehow, thank you for this reminder that there is still plenty to get lost in, right here.
I’m sure you don’t need a reminder from me that there is much to give you pause in August (or any time).
🙂 True enough, but reminders are still good! 😉
This is beautiful! We have these growing in our garden too and I love them – been studying them and photographing and also cooking the beans 🙂 – delicious but the color gets cooked out ! – and struggling with a composition I am happy with. I love your colors, lines and curves ❤️