The old adage is that a writer should write about what he or she knows. To heed that advice, I’ve decided to start concentrating on botanical subjects for my paintings. Trees and shrubs regularly appeared in the artwork I had created since I was a teenager, but those images were usually a small part of the overall landscape, or they served as accessories rather than the main focus of my art. My previous still life paintings and portraits rarely included any plants. (One exception was a series of breadfruit leaves and fruit I painted while in the Peace Corps.) But now I plan to shine a bright light on specific plants and place my interpretation on the canvas.
Mark’s used this photo of flowers from his own garden to bring his painting to life.
Photo Credit: Mark A. Miller
We give you “Flowers in a Blue Vase.”
Photo Credit: Mark A. Miller
This waterlily was painted from a late summer photo taken at Longwood Gardens.
Photo Credit: Mark A. Miller
We’re fortunate here in Columbus, OH, to have a wonderful cultural arts center housed in an historic armory downtown. There are several classes an aspiring artist can take, where the studio time can be spent painting by yourself, socializing and feeding off fellow artist’s critiques, or asking for feedback from the instructor when (and only when) you feel you need it. My teacher lets us be and doesn’t hover unless someone asks for help.
But you don’t need to take an art course to give painting a try. Anyone can do it – and it’s a fun pastime for when Mother Nature won’t let you get out in the garden. (Hey, if we can’t grow the plants, let’s try to paint ’em!)
My first completed piece (titled “Bulb Play”) was a field of grape hyacinth bulbs, and I referred to some plant catalog photos for models. The end result was boring, and in a rush of inspiration I added three orange and yellow variegated tulips as a surreal juxtaposition to the retreating blue and purple floral cones of the grape hyacinths. It’s a much more interesting piece now, in my opinion. But this painting doesn’t elicit any personal connection for me. (My paintings mean much more to me if I knew – or grew – the plants featured in the artwork.)
So for my next piece (“Flowers in a Blue Vase”) I chose to interpret a photograph I took of a floral arrangement that I had created from my garden. In the arrangement, I had grouped peonies, false blue indigo, some roof iris and ‘May Night’ salvia with variegated hosta. The completed painting not only “immortalizes” the floral arrangement from my garden, it shows the apartment that I was living in before moving. (The personal connection is made stronger by the fact that I grew the plants myself and lived in the setting depicted.)
Of course there are a number of different mediums in which you can immortalize your plants, and what you pick is up to you. Botanical drawings were traditionally done in pencil or watercolor. Other media include pen and ink drawings, charcoal, pastels, printing, painting (in oil, acrylic or watercolor) – even sculpture, metalwork, ceramics, fabrics, needlework, quilting and mixed media (to name a few).
If you’re a seasoned artist, you know which medium you prefer to work in. I’ve always enjoyed pencil drawings and painting in acrylics myself. (I learned at a young age that my lack of manual dexterity excluded sculpture or anything that required skilled manipulation.) If you’re a novice artist, find the medium that suits you best. Play around with several and see what feels right.
In terms of a model to view for inspiration, there are a number of avenues for that, too. Many artists enjoy painting outdoors – Claude Monet famously painted the waterlilies in his garden in Giverny, France, many times. Personally, I like to photograph particular plants or a floral arrangement that interests me and then use the photo in the art studio later. Plant catalogs and garden magazines can often supply a ready-made subject as well. You may wish to paint something from memory, such as your grandmother in her garden or the landscapes of your childhood. In any case, finding the vehicle for inspiration is as personal as finding the medium that works for you.
I don’t fancy myself a great artist – or even a good one – but painting is a terrific hobby that transports me to another world and another season of the year. It brightens my otherwise gray winter. By featuring a subject that I know intimately – plants – my paintings are now much more enjoyable.
Now I just have to figure out where to hang them…
