"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home" (Twyla Tharp)

Assignment 7 - Fruit Study ...

Physalis peruviana, Cape Gooseberry

I loved painting this generous plant with such healthy fruits and I really have a soft spot for it now.  I have to say though I am very glad this assignment is off my table.   Summer in Western Australia is often pretty tough when the hottest days come ... but the last week has been a record breaking heatwave.  I know many of you understand how difficult it is to paint in the extremes of weather ...  thankfully so many other elements went pretty smoothly for me ...

When I last posted here the first branch had been composed and painted ... now it was time to paint the larger papery calyx and the little fruits with one undressing by peeling off the calyx .... well trickier than I thought it would be because of our late rains and then strong heat - the fruits were either too small or too ripe so the colours were a little richer than usual.


  My photos don't help in reflecting that because neither camera seems to interpret the colour in my botanical artworks accurately!
I like to check the tones by changing a photo of the artwork to black and white to make sure I have enough highlights and depth.
I really like the effect it creates and helps me to see I'm on track.



I then had to bring in the left hand side branch ... after referring to initial sketches and options, using the drawing on the tracing paper to position makes it easy to see it will all fit together ...


 First washes going on .... wanting to include more Cape Gooseberries to show the variety in colour a little more ...



Two more little fruits added ... it's starting to look like my theatrical production with the archway of the stage proscenium ... the leaf on the left branch bowing to the performers, the little flower watching on and the younger fruits waiting to be centre stage with the very ripe trio ....
Well - when you work a long time on an artwork and the heat starts to bother you - it gets a bit stir crazy and the subject develops a personality of its own ...



Now I am hoping my artwork is with my tutor ... in a much cooler climate in the UK - away from clammy arms and sweating brow .... and hoping for a good reception.

Work in progress ...


Such a tasty subject ...

I'm currently working on the Fruit Assignment for the SBA Distance Course.  I'm not so keen on fruit paintings so the opportunity to portray the story  from flower to early stages and finally the fruit was more appealing to me from a compositional point of view... even before I commenced the assignment I knew what I wanted to be my subject - Physalis peruviana - the Cape Gooseberry.

Physalis peruviana


One of the reasons for choosing this subject is that the plant grows rampantly on our property - I would finally have more than enough study material - whereas many of the other assignments fall on opposite seasons - here was a chance to really get to know the subject in situ.



I'm sure many botanical artists are familiar with their art rooms being littered with  samples of plants, fruits, flowers etc!  During this assignment I have 'auditioned' so many branches, fruits, calyx subjects - the art table is looking pretty shabby now.
When the fruit starts to dry out or gather mould it's time to clean up and bring in fresh supplies ....

Rejects from the audition process ...

Lead roles ....



I am really enjoying this assignment - perhaps because the madness of Christmas and New Year are well behind me .... and I have a whole shiny new year ahead to take a different perspective.

First washes

The washes have been going on nicely... 
The subject has been behaving itself ... not dying too quickly on me ...

WIP

So far all's well - so nice to have something fall into place and unfold in front of you.  These fruits are delicious - sweet yet tart - my mouth waters just describing them.  It is the shabbiest of plants but when you look really closely - it has an incredibly complex and beautiful life cycle.
That's why I love botanical art - it makes you look beyond the exterior package and get to know a plant intimately ... sigh ... back to painting!!!


Getting started ....




I can't believe it's 2012 already ... seems like yesterday I started the course and really have come so far, not only in learning but also awareness of some of the pitfalls when commencing a course of study.  I found that one of the most important things to avoid having too many disasters is to be really well organised.  Most of us work full time, are raising families and already have a full enough life before we include studying for 27 months for a Diploma in Botanical Art.  It's a lot tougher than we think it's going to be ... nobody embarks on this course just to paint a pretty picture - it costs money, takes a lot of time and an awful lot of self discipline to learn on your own.


I've refined my study environment so that everything I need  is close by.  After picking up tips from other artists I'm happy with my workspace now ... I found a quiet room in the house where I was able to put all the 'stuff' (and there's a lot of stuff!) and set up my table so the dayight source was correct.  Sometimes you have to paint when the opportunity is there and one of the biggest benefits was a great lamp with a natural daylight bulb so that I can work any time day or night.

Acrylic board with artwork taped down
 I also use an acrylic board - cut to size for the paper we use .. tape the artwork on to the acrylic with painter's tape which peels off easily ...it's a lightweight board which won't stain your artwork.   Being taped down also helps to stop your paper from warping with the watercolours if you work quite wet - which I do!  This was an idea given to me by a fellow student ...

Angled board on non slip mat

Non slip mat to work on



I used to work completely flat but it's really not the best for either your artwork perspective or your neck and shoulders.  I found a melamine shelf out in my cupboard and placed it on a box to elevate the angle slightly.  To keep it from slipping I used the non-slip webbing you buy to use under rugs ...it doesn't move at all ...a great way to get used to working on an angle... I also bought a table top easel which works just as well and you can adjust the height easily.... also works as a good display piece for showing your artworks or anything else ...

Adjustable angled table top easel

There are so many tips and tricks you learn as you go ... I'm just posting what works for me .. knowing of course we enjoy different techniques to achieve results.  Many of these tips were passed on to me by other artists .... I joined Facebook just over a year ago purely to look at botanical art - there is a wonderful forum where ideas, artworks and resources are exchanged.  If you are sincerely interested in learning more about botanical art and have a Facebook identity, please ask to join ....



Currently I am working on Assignment 7 - the Fruit Assignment - I am painting a Cape Gooseberry and really enjoying this one!  I love hearing from you and what you're up to ....