Butterflies

I went back to Cylburn Arboretum today to see if I could see it with fresh eyes--not just last week's sea of green.  In one of the garden beds small white butterflies danced, alighted, and fluttered through these purply-blue flowers.  This little orange creature paused long enough for me to capture the moment.

Every butterfly was out in full force today making the most of each sweet flower.  These brown butterflies with yellowy-orange spots were having a wonderful time drinking the nectar from the pink flowers at the edge of the woods.

Perhaps the most magnificent were these butterflies, which I think are Eastern Swallowtail Butterflies, that were attracted to a large hydrangea.  Their wings were fully open when resting on a flower, then would close as they drank, only to open as they flew to the next blossom.  They must be migrating through Baltimore.

I came home with so many wonderful photographs and my mind is brimming with ideas for watercolors, but first I want to share these moments of loveliness.

Shade Trees: From Sketch to Painting?

Recently I went to nearby Cylburn Arboretum to see what I might paint for a benefit I am participating in this fall.  In spring there are paths lined with pink and white magnolias, a field of sunny daffodils, a walkway lined with dark green cypress and golden forsythia, and an orchard of cherry trees that scatter their petals at the first rain.   In early summer there are peonies and later on roses.  

This time I was surrounded by a sea of green.  I remember an art teacher once saying how difficult it was to paint in summer when there was little contrast except for the vast range of green.  Already it was hot and humid by 9:30 in the morning.  I sought out paths that led into the woods where it might be cooler.  So many paths were blocked and off limits because of fallen trees.  We have had a couple of storms this year that wrought havoc, downing trees hundreds of years old.

I turned away and found this path with wonderfully contorted tree branches that grew down to the ground and then reached up again to the sky.  As I sketched and painted, I tried to figure out how to depict the dense foliage where it seemed I could see every leaf. I knew I need only convey the sensation of leafiness, coolness, green.  I thought about Vincent Van Gogh's amazing pen and ink drawings composed of a myriad of strokes.  He made it look so simple and easy!

I wonder whether I can create a more finished painting from this watercolor?  Does the scene hold enough interest? Does the composition work?  How would I handle a larger painting?  Should it be in watercolor or oil?  What do you think?

Fleeting Moments

Yesterday I took a little time to sit on my deck and enjoy breakfast before a day spent getting through a long to-do list.  It was hot and humid--true Baltimore weather.  The cicadas had set up a racket that was only rivaled by the hum of air conditioners.  Off in the dense foliage of the trees a woodpecker hopped from branch to branch--sometimes pecking away at the main tree trucks, sometimes tapping at a branch while hanging upside down.  Closer at hand the most beautiful spiderweb hung suspended in the air anchored by thin threads to the patio umbrella above and the deck railing and window box to the sides.  It glistened in the sun. The web finished, the spider scurried to the center.

I went inside to grab my pen and sketchbook so I could draw this amazing creation.  When I returned the spider and web were gone!  Only one gossamer thread remained to show they had ever been here.  I did this sketch from memory, drawing each line with patience.  As I drew, I marveled at the spider's tenacity to  connect each thread with care and weave such an intricate design.

August Bounty

Summer is great for all the wonderful fresh produce available at farmers' markets here in Baltimore.  August is perfect for ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil, sweet peaches, watermelon, and so many other good things.  A favorite open-faced sandwich is toasted whole grain bread, a dab of pesto, a slice of tomato, a pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper, and a sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano.