Fiddlehead
I spent the entire afternoon yesterday hiking and sketching ephemeral wildflowers and ferns at Bartholomew’s Cobble, a nature preserve in Sheffield, Mass. What a treat! Bloodroot sprang from rocky limestone ledges, and Dutchman’s breeches, hepatica, and red and white trillium carpeted parts of the forest floor. My wildflower sketches remain unfinished, so I have only these fiddleheads unfurling by the banks of the Housatonic River to share. How I wish you could go there in person to see them for yourself.
New class coming up: Watercolor for Beginners, June 6 and 13– Learn the fundamentals and techniques you need to begin painting successfully. The class is geared for beginners and for those who may have missed learning foundational skills.
Drawn In 
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What fun! I love the range of yellowy greens, and the brown last-year’s stalks among them. And what a unique geologic location – I had to look it up, the names had me convinced it must be in England!
It does sound like it should be in England. I’ve never seen so many native wildflowers blooming in one place.
The fiddleheads are beautiful, Jean! I love how you’ve used the power of suggestion by using a few gestural strokes to create the curls. Brilliant! What a wonderful place to hike!
Thanks, Barb!
always a pleasure!
what a wonderful way to spend the day! The weather here in Wisconsin is due to clear up on Wednesday and I’m going to do the same. Thanks for a great idea.
I hope you are treated to a similar show. It really was wonderful to be out on a nice day sketching these plants.
Sounds like a wonderful day with the ephemerals! Your fiddleheads are delightful — my favorite shape, the spiral. There’s something magical about the tight, amazingly folded leaves in the spiral that unfold so gradually into a fern! You’ve captured their spiral package so beautifully. I’ll have to keep practicing!
I used to be intimidated to try ferns because they are so complicated. Starting with fiddleheads is a good way to get going.
Another feast for my eyes! I, too will have to check out this place.
Oh, I hope you do! If you can get there in the next two weeks, you will be treated to a wonderful wildflower display.
Wonderful fiddleheads – I love the way you captured these emerging ferns! I saw some tiny wood ferns on a guided hike last week, so no time to stop and sketch. I might need to go back and sketch them now 🙂
Seize the moment– they unfurl fast. Hope you enjoyed your woodland hike. This is a great time of year to be out.
What a wonderful hike that would have been. The names of the plants conjure up such lovely pictures, I enjoy them almost as much as your wonderful fiddlehead drawing!
Thanks Anna– It was a wonderful outing. Unfortunately, my paintings of the flowers didn’t turn out so well, so I’m glad I did the fiddleheads.