Better late than never ...

Well ... it's been an interesting month.  After almost leaving the course for a number of reasons, I have taken a step back and reassessed priorities.  Kind of like a mid life crisis - an evolution of sorts.

After lengthy discussions about the involvement required over the next two years I decided to continue on .... and despite challenges - to put even more time into studying this art - not just painting a pretty picture but understanding more about the history of botanical art and the botanical structure of the plant I am working on.  

Eucalypt Leaves - watercolour washes in progress

I don't have a background in art, science, botany or anything remotely akin to this genre, so it's hard going at times.  So ... onward and upward ... after a great deal of effort I have almost finished my assignment and will post it shortly - I am also working on my essay assignment for the course and I will show the completed artwork here as soon as I send them off to the UK.

Leaf from a Cottonwood tree - WIP

 In the meantime there are a lot of very industrious botanical artists meeting a painting challenge being led by a wonderful botanical artist and teacher, Mindy Lighthipe.

Same leaf, overworked it but had fun.

Leaves are so difficult but such an important part of the painting and can ruin an otherwise beautifully executed flower study.  I have played around with leaves a bit over time, learning from trial and error mostly!

  The artists are attempting to paint a leaf a day or as close as possible to this .... Mindy's blog is fabulous and she is a very generous teacher, displaying her leaf diary as she goes.... 

Please enjoy the journey and wonderful instruction on leaf painting ...

http://www.botanicalartpainting.com/