Pimelea physodes - Qualup bell

 

Pimelea physodes - Qualup Bell 

Recently I returned to my art studio inspired after finding two sought after Qualup bell specimens from a local native nursery.  I have always loved these plants and they were on my wish list to paint but being endemic to specific regions sparsely located at great distance in Western Australia they were very difficult to study and illustrate without being in situ.

Having found the plants I set to work carefully observing all the colourways - which were many - probably why I’m so attracted to them, as well as their showy nature, despite being somewhat ordinary looking when not in flower.

I began by colour matching the the bell shaped flowers to ensure I was happy with my portrayal and then set to work adding fine watercolour layers, taking care to work with a more dry brush approach to create the feel of a filmy somewhat transparent petal or bract.

I had been working seated in the conservatory area as I had really spread out to study the plant, however I found it was taxing on my neck and shoulders when I was painting in a seated position.

I moved back into my art studio to my usual standing desk option and it was so much easier and more comfortable to paint and work closely for longer periods.  I highly recommend using a standing desk or sit to stand option as it is easier to move about and not get stuck in an awkward position.

I took regular breaks and brought the artwork into another room to check progress alongside the real subject in different light.  I find it's a good habit to look at the painting in different rooms and alternate lighting situations to create a more balanced

I had underestimated the level of work involved in painting the myriad of leaves, so it became much longer working period to enable me to meet the emerging  deadline.

 I finished the first watercolour layers of most of the painting and then spent a couple of days adding depth and finer detail.

Thankfully I managed to complete the Qualup Bell with very little time to spare before having the artwork scanned and entered into a prestigious botanical illustration exhibition in Melbourne.

Qualup bell - © Vicki Lee Johnston

I was very happy to be notified that my botanical illustration of this amazing plant had been selected for the The Art of Botanical Illustration in Melbourne (TABI 2022).  I then set to work ensuring the paper was perfectly flat by dampening the back and resting under heavy books, it worked beautifully and the artwork was ready to be framed.

I very much appreciated the local framer, Angela at White Room Studios, who managed to help me meet the tight interstate deadline before sending the framed artwork across to Melbourne. 

  Thanks also to my sister in law who presented the artwork to the gallery on my behalf,  which was very much appreciated.  Perth in Western Australia is a long way from anywhere and it gets very expensive to be included in the national and international exhibitions, however with  great support it can be possible.

 

For those also at great distance and unable to attend the gallery in person you can view this beautiful exhibition of botanical artworks by national and international artists online for a short period.

https://tabi.rbgfriendsmelbourne.org/

The 16th Biennial The Art of Botanical Illustration (TABI 2022) run by the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is on show until October 2nd at Domain House Gallery in Melbourne.

Iris …

Iris © Vicki Lee Johnston

A few years ago, back in the days when we could travel the world more freely I was lucky enough to visit France and the Provence region.  A highlight for me was to visit the hospital where Vincent Van Gogh stayed.  The gardens were magnificent, inspiring him to produce hundreds of beautiful paintings.  See my original post with all the lovely iris photos and backstory here:

Art as Therapy

The irises were coming into full bloom and I couldn't resist taking loads of photos in the hope of painting one later in time.  I don't normally work solely from a photograph but to honour a special place and time it's important not to get too stuck on perfect circumstances for subject matter. 

Taking one of many photographic memories

Beginning the first stages of my painting with initial washes.

You can see below my setup with the chosen photo on my iPad for reference as I worked.

Reference photo setup

Saint Paul Asylum in St Remy  

                                                               More layers and detail ...

Wonderful display of irises

Getting there ...

This was a fun painting to do because it gave me the opportunity to be a little more relaxed about the detail and features, it became a keepsake of sorts to remember this special time in France.  It was intended for an exhibition but after a missed deadline I decided it could stay with me a while longer.

Watercolour Iris -  © Vicki Lee Johnston

I hope everyone is keeping well and optimistic about days ahead when we can look forward to a return to travel and hugging and enjoying life at its fullest.  I have been blessed to spend this very unique time with my soul mate and precious family, being grateful for the simple things in life and honouring the natural world.

© Vicki Lee Johnston

Rose Mallee ...

Rose Mallee - © Vicki Lee Johnston

It has been ages since I posted a blog update but sometimes I think we need to allow the process to find its own flow ... it should never be forced unless it's a commission or exhibition deadline but in terms of communicating in a social way sometimes less is more while you get your bearings.

The great thing about the creative process is being able to find a community that supports and encourages without constant expectation.  I belong to a few art societies which are very welcoming and always communicate upcoming projects, exhibitions, publications and invite participation wherever possible, despite where you are located.  One such project was run by the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) to celebrate their recent silver anniversary.  

As I am a Member of the ASBA, I was invited to contribute to their publication by painting a subject within the theme of 'silver' whether it be silver leaves, silver in the name of the plant, etc.  I wasn't going to participate due to a very busy calendar and overseas travel at the time, but on one of my road trips I came across the Eucalyptus rhodantha, Rose Mallee, which happened to be in flower on the roadside.

It is a beautiful small tree, if somewhat scraggly and messy at times - however once it comes into bud and flowers - wow, it's a showstopper.  It's endemic to my region and seemed a perfect subject to choose to paint considering the glaucous silver blue leaves and powdery grey buds .... just right for the job description at hand - and especially meaningful being an artwork portraying a West Australian native plant published in an international publication.

WIP - first layers of paint going on ...

I realised once again I had put myself under the pump time wise, as was due to travel within days so I decided just get it done, I loved the subject and once all the colour studies were done, I really hurried the layers of silver grey/blue on the leaves and started building up the shadows to create depth and form.

The powdery greyish silver was a joy to paint, keeping in mind less is more and only painting the shadows and a very subtle silver grey hue.  I then added the raspberry red of the flower, trying to show the light and shade to highlight the details and finally the minute details of the stamen.  The photos are very poor due to me working late into the night.  I had three days from start to finish to complete the painting, which is probably a good thing to avoid overworking.

Probably the most difficult part for many artists could often be the technology associated with exhibiting, publishing and showing artworks.  Being able to photograph, scan, convert files, edit, then ensure you have met the technical criteria for a publication, as it could end up less than complimentary to your work if the colours and light are off.  Fortunately all deadlines were met and the artwork was sent digitally to the society and able to be entered into this beautiful book celebrating their members, their art and the society as an international and inclusive organisation.

It was a few months before the book was published and it took quite a bit longer to reach Western Australia.  It was published in limited numbers, so somewhat of a collectors piece and I am very grateful for my edition.

Excuse the poor quality photo, not easy taking a pic from a glossy book ... but you get the gist! 

For further information here is the website for the American Society of Botanical Artists:

https://www.asba-art.org/

I have a number of artworks in the members gallery - which reminds me, I need to update that too!  Never ending tech alongside art and creation ... guess it keeps both sides of the brain in tune!

https://www.asba-art.org/member-gallery/vicki-lee-johnston

Rose Mallee - © Vicki Lee Johnston 

All artwork and images © Vicki Lee Johnston 2020

Watercolours ...

Greetings card © Vicki Lee Johnston

I hope this year has been a fruitful one for you - I know many family and friends have had a hectic time of it and felt the year has been a whirlwind.  That's certainly how I feel but a lot of things have been accomplished despite the busy-ness and has led to thinking about ways to savour the things we enjoy and make what we do more manageable and organised so we don't get bogged down with stuff.  Decluttering is a big part of the process, not only our belongings but also the way we work, to only have what is beautiful and useful in our homes and workspaces.

I love colour, especially watercolour - and I find the pigments fascinating also. The more I learn about pigment properties, the more I realise that the colour I choose in the first instance can save a lot of time in the long run.  How many times have we gotten further into a painting only to realise that a colour is not behaving the way we want, either it's too opaque, we can't lift it because it's heavily staining, the colour is granulating when we want a smooth wash ... if we familiarise ourselves with each pigment it can avoid a lot of problems and potentially save a painting.

My first teacher showed me how it was possible to make hundreds of colours from only six, a warm and cool choice of yellow, blue and red.  The colour charts above are the very first thing I painted and I learnt a lot about colour mixing.  However I had no idea that there was so much more to it!

After frustrating errors with watercolour finishes I became more interested in why these problems were happening, why I couldn't lift a colour, or why my colours weren't smooth.

 Soo many colour charts!  Learning how each pigment works ...

As you can see, I have done a lot of homework and tried to familiarise myself with each colour and divided it into cards showing the range of colours and properties for each one.

However, it's all very well having the colour charts in a nice filing system, now it's time to find the watercolours I need for a painting and because I have too many they reside in multiple tins and drawers and I find myself becoming a bit disorientated before I even begin laying the first wash.  I  wanted something to house all the stuff I need to get going, for it to be easy to find, easy to sort and categorise and still look neat once packed away.  Although things can get chaotic during a painting, I like to be able to pack things away in their place.

My studio, loads of places for all the stuff!

The most recent painting involved painting a lot of different leaves and quite a few colours.  This is when I realised my system wasn't working.

 I haven't worked out yet whether I prefer tubes or pans, but I am leaning towards watercolour pans.  I have bought a lot of empty watercolour full size pans and fill them from my Daniel Smith and Schmincke tubes but tend to buy Winsor & Newton pans due to recommended use by the manufacturer.

 I posted a question asking for suggestions in the  Botanical Artists Facebook Group, where you get loads of advice from fellow artists.  So many ideas were given which were very helpful.  Ultimately we have to find what works for us and in this situation I need storage and organisation, something to keep all the colours and charts in that I can take out of a cupboard or close up at the end of the day and it all looks neat.  It's not specifically a travel case, although it could easily be used for one, but if I were travelling I would definitely minimise my watercolours and tools and travel with a smaller setup.

This case was the perfect solution, it's a make up carry case but you could easily get a fishing tackle box or sewing basket, a wooden box, etc.  I liked the way the sections opened up and made it easy to see everything.    My husband very kindly cut up flyweight stiffener into squares for the base and also strips to fit in between the rows to allow for detailed labelling.  You could easily use foam core board for this job.  I find the tins which hold pans leave little room for labelling and if you want all the pigment info it's a bit fiddly, it's also not easy to take the pans out and use elsewhere.  I tend to splash around a bit and make a right mess in a tin!  Using this system I can easily take out only the pans I need and use them with my china palette.

When you first open the case

The sections fully expanded

I decided to use each square section for specific colours, top right are yellows, top left reds, bottom right blues, bottom left violets, browns and grey/black.  

Each pan is described by using an erasable pen on a sticker label and pasting it to the flyweight strip.  Of course you could also use foamcore board to put the base and sections it as well.  I wanted a decent space so I could see everything at first glance.

I leave all my colour cards and charts together at the base of the case.  The watercolour pad I used to make these charts is a perfect size to fit inside the case and under the tiers for easy access.

Underneath those charts are small boxes containing all the tube colours which I have used to fill the pans, all in their own colour sections relating to the trays above.  I also fit my colour strip fan in amongst those boxes, you can see it laid out below, with all the colour strips relating to the pigments in the case.  This colour strip fan is wonderful for choosing the right colour for a botanical subject as you can easily hold it over the subject and see through the hole punch area to get the closest match.

Voila!

My new case with a rainbow of colours and colour charts and all the technical information needed!  It can be kept in a very small space and is portable.  I know it will save me a lot of time working out the colours I need - whether they be transparent, opaque, granulating, staining, single pigment, etc.  It will become second nature and eventually I will probably minimise the colours I use down to a much more manageable size.  You could also easily fit paintbrushes and a few ceramic palettes in the case so it's a very worthwhile option if you are feeling a bit disorganised and finding getting started on a painting frustrating due to chaos in the studio.  As mentioned before, this is more of a hold-all than a travel case, you don't need to take the whole kitchen sink when you travel or are out in the field!

My next painting is well under way,  very short deadline on this as it is due for an exhibition in early January.    

© Vicki Lee Johnston

I hope you find this blog post helpful and it encourages you to find a system that works for you.  We all work differently but most of all our creativity doesn't have to be limited to our artworks.  

"Necessity is the mother of invention" 

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