Succulent Garden as and Answer

When in doubt about what to draw, if I have limited time or am still jet-lagged, there is an answer to "what to draw": succulent garden! Gouache in my new Etchr Hot Press Sketchbook - gifted by Etchr as one of the sponsors at the USk Symposium.

 

A Surprise New Garden

I have a new addition to my list of places where there is always something to sketch. I was introduced to it by a friend when giant purple candelabras of Pride of Madeira were in high bloom. I found some really interesting juxtapositions of plants in this garden and some amazing workspaces that I want to come back and draw. 

Later I had a chance to stop by to look at one part of the garden with two different sets of tools (dual marker with two purple colors and my modified parallel pen with black ink) and then a direct gouache. In both of these sketches, my interest was to show how many different foliages are there in one little space. 

Peony Garden Adventure

Well, this was supposed to be the year when I finally made it to the peony garden up in the hills above Silicon Valley. I've heard about it many times, I tried to get to it several times (all funny stories of when I followed the directions of "just up the same road" and went on foot (turned around in 30 min). Then another time I tried to go by car from the Iris garden side and almost ran out of gas... Then I was late and the garden was closed. But this year I got some bullet-proof directions, checked that that it was still open, packed a backpack with colors I wanted to use, and almost remembered to get some gas.... and... well, I got in but basically I was late. We had a few very hot days right before and I think the season was over even before that. There were many petals on the floor and many green bushes with very few flowers and all were way past their prime.

As a consolation, I used a shadow from my car to look from the top of the hill to the hills and the rest of the farm. It was a great little trip!

Stanford Cactus Garden and Eucalyptus Tree

Somehow I managed to live near Stanford University for many years now, but never got to visit the Cactus Garden there. It is also called an Arizona Garden and is quite old. There were many things to draw, but the time was limited, so I think I would call this a reconnaissance sketching - I will be back to draw an old Joshua Tree and all the textures of many interesting succulents! I quickly put this sketch together from a shade of a tree where I could observe a plant being simultaneously eaten by a hummingbird and a squirrel.  

And of course, an eucalyptus tree is always a reason to stop by and sketch!

Rogue garden and ink shopping plans

A little while ago I reported on some fungi growing on my succulents - well, those are gone (thought we had a lot of rain so they might be back). But I realized that the area near my place where I "deposit" bulbs when they are done blooming in my patio garden became a garden by itself! 

I think more might be coming - but this is a report as of early March :) 

The lovely purple ink in these sketches is a Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa (iron gall) Ink. It will kill your fountain pen within 24 hours but it has such a great range of tones and works so well with fingerpainting that I cannot stop using it. I carry a little vial and apply it directly on my pen and I am seriously considering getting a gray-blue version of this iron gall ink from Rohrer & Klingner - called Salix though a close contender is For Gray Document Ink from De Atramentis. I just finished a bottle of that ink and it was a glorious waterproof ink suitable for both drawing and writing.

Bike and Sketch - Tree in a Garden

Gouache in my A3 sketchbook, some truth about my gouache palette in the photos below. I know I keep promising to fill a new palette with fresh gouache but somehow always end up with this old pencil box as a palette - and at this point, I think it is ok :)

Sketchbook Thinking Between the Rains

I got to go to one of the local gardens between the rains and, even though there were endless insects in my bag after this outing, I remembered it fondly as I got to figure out some things. I've been taking a lot of materials with me on location lately and that is always a complication as part of the time ends up spent on making endless choices. And I prefer drawing to making choices. I wanted to simplify my kit again and be more mobile with my sketching. And during this outing, I got to think through what it is that I want to do more of and what I want to do less of. 

These are done with color pencils, ink pen, ballpoint pen, stencils, and gouache (see what I mean by too many options?). Still - it was a great day :)

Magnolias and Camellias with a friend.

I went to a charming little garden with a friend and enjoyed some hot camomile and lavender tea from a real mug that she brought, an interesting layered conversation parallel to drawing next to each other. And also a view of magnolias and camellias and little kids splashing in puddles. It was a gift!

Painting the Gardens

Another gouache adventure - this is one of my favorite gardens in the neighborhood. It is in full bloom now but I noticed that I say that many times during the year - perhaps I should track once what is blooming when there. Right now roses and irises and foxgloves are dominating the picture. You can see my gouache set-up in one of the photos - I am constantly tweaking things and right now trying some collapsable brushes to see if I can make my plein-air set smaller.