Botanicals

When the weather is too cold or rainy, and I want to connect with nature, houseplants provide excellent drawing companions. I've taken many life-drawing classes but I've never managed to sign up for a class in botanical illustration. I've wanted to do that, but I also think I would become frustrated and impatient with all the careful measuring and so on. 

Plants also don't move positions like my cat. 

My rubber plant has been with me since 2014, the same week I brought my cat home from the ASPCA. So, I think of the plant like a family member. It has frequently played the part of the Christmas Tree every December. This past December I got a real Balsam Fir from the tree guy on Broadway, and I worried about the rubber plant's feelings.

 

Botanical Postcards

Botanical postcards on an easel.
I like to paint on the little Strathmore watercolor postcards.
I've learned from drawing professionals that making a small sketch or painting is often just as satisfying as making a large work. It's less intimidating.
Making a painting on a large canvas scares the living daylights out of me.
Plus, I can send these postcards to friends.