Paintings & Stories: 5. Pencil, pencil, pencil.....

-

                    
                   Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium, Detail, Graphite Pencil, ©Heeyoung Kim

full image can be viewed http://www.asba-art.org/other-galleries/new-works


This Rattlesnake Master was at the top of my long list of plants that I wanted to paint in my first year of botanical art study. However, I was so overwhelmed by the complexity of the flower head. I actually started drawing it long ago, and kept looking at it every year, adding or correcting bit by bit. Finally this year, I have been courageous enough to finish it, after long practice. I juxtaposed a dissected part and the flower in full bloom in perfect symmetry. 

You will be surprised to see how beautiful job a simple pencil does.  In the beginning, I just considered this as a study for my watercolor painting. As it got its shape, though, I just loved it as it is. So I decided to finish up. 

Popular posts from this blog

65. New in July: Zoom Special: Botanical Watercolor Troubleshooting

-
Image
Watercolor demo for a series of Zoom class, grapes, ©Heeyoung Kim 2020 Painting is a meditative activity to me. I immerse myself into the whole painting process and become one with my tools. Since I teach, however, I force myself to be awaken to sort out which parts need to be noticed to point out to my students in the class. That has lead me to have a list of certain painting techniques that are commonly troublesome to my students. With the current pandemic situation, all my local classes are converted to online instruction and we feel grateful to continue our weekly botanical art classes without interruption. I even start the class 20 minutes earlier to have some fun chat time to secure full 'art time'. We miss the in-person classes, of course, but the virtual connection with our painting buddies has been blessing amid the isolation time. On top of that, thanks goodness, my students find the instructions presented on their personal computer screens are clear, and mu
Read more

70. New Botanical Watercolor Courses for Beginners on Saturdays

-
Image
It will be via Zoom, continuously!  The pandemic changed our every life dramatically. We have discovered every possible way to get connected and continue our daily activities amidst the frightening uncertainty. The adjustment to online platform, Zoom, was one of the changes I made for my classes, but surprisingly, it became the favorites for my students. To compensate the indirect learning situation in the online classes, I put in extra time and efforts for the class preparation to make each class an effective learning experience. The results have been very rewarding. Both my students and I love having the classes via Zoom. So, we decided to continue the Zoom classes even though we can go back to in-person classes in USA. The continuing Zoom class means people from far away can take this watercolor for beginners! In my current drawing classes on Saturdays I  have people from several states and abroad. Every week, it is fun to say hi to each other, and hear what's happening in many
Read more

Paintings & Stories: 42. A Special Treat to a Lady!

-
Image
Large Yellow Lady's Slipper Orchid Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens ©Heeyoung Kim Finally Finished! Some years ago, a fairly old lady approached me after she saw my paintings at a show. She 'confessed' that a bunch of Yellow Lady's Slipper Orchids thrive in her back yard. I was invited to see them. My jaw dropped, completely! They were so beautiful! I started to study them right away, but it was a bit too late. Soon, the flowers got brown spots. I was determined to study them very closely during the rest of the season. The lady's German shepherd was getting used to me in the meantime.     I had good amount of drawings, and more than enough studies, not to mention hundreds of photos taken from every possible angles. However I could not start painting. I needed more time. I needed to get to know the lady's slipper better. In the next fall and winter, the sketches and photos were lingering in my head until I decide the composition. In the n
Read more