Euphorbia {plus red + violet}
Thursday, April 30, 2009 at 7:22AM 
I'm getting one in before April closes! It's been way too long since I've posted a sketch.
For weeks now, every time I walk out my front door or pull up to our house, I look over at my neighbor's amazing garden {check out the logo + business card I designed for her landscape business — Horticultural Heritage }. This bright lemony, lime green plant with bunches of little flowers and pointy leaves. I am the furthest from a gardener, so I asked my friend Mary about these when I was at her house the other day — noticing them in her garden. Euphorbia. I told her I had been wanting to paint them for weeks. Finally, I got the chance yesterday while Ezra was wiped out from his 6 month check-up. Uncharacteristically sleeping for hours during the day.
My first attempt {which I may still post} didn't turn out quite right. I didn't use pen and found I couldn't get the detail I wanted. I can't help using pen. After I completed the single stalk, I still needed to pore over the details of the tiny flower — thus the close-ups.
I had planned to paint some red tulips, grape hyacinth and lobelia to balance out all the lime green — to incorporate somehow. Turns out I didn't feel like it. What I was mainly after was to get some of those bright reds and violets I kept seeing on my walks with Ezra and driving Hannah Mae to and from preschool every day — that bright, light violety lavender I was seeing as ground cover. What was that? Oh, lobelia {I had to do a search to find this out...I know nothing about flowers!}.
After I got the euphorbia done with pen + watercolor, I painted blocks of red and violet. First with watercolor. I thought I couldn't get the vibrancy of the violet with my Sumi pan watercolors, so I got out a couple pouches of the Japanese powder watercolors from Midori. I needed more time to figure out how these work. I thought they would perform like my other watercolors, but they are quite different. They dry powdery. I also couldn't get them to flow/blend right. I think I just don't know how to use them. So, I abandoned those {and made a powdery mess on the kitchen table} and turned to my gouache. I love gouache. I can always get the bright, opaque color I am after. Vibrant violet achieved.
I still want to try adding some vector patterning on top of these...maybe another day. Maybe I will still get to the tulips and hyacinth as well.
Reader Comments (5)
Beautiful! One of our neighbors has those in their yard and we have been wondering what they are. Now I know, euphorbia. I love the lime green color of the plant.
That looks like a fun afternoon. I actually have euphorbia in my run-down yard, and I love to look at it. Everything you touch is magic.
Thank you, Beth & Sarah!
Loved reading all the stories with your sketches. Keep sketching!
Thanks, Patricia! I go in phases with the sketching. I wish I could post something everyday! I try to squeeze it in when I find the time!