Week two of #PleinAirpril is my ‘flower focus’ week! I am not overly familiar with flowers, but I’m approaching it the same way I approach learning anything. Breaking things down into simplified shapes. Drawing is a great way to do that, so with every session I’ll do at least 10 minutes of drawing.

Day 01 – Japanese Quince (again)

My Japanese Quince bush is in peak bloom and looking absolutely gorgeous. These flowers are visually intoxicating. Last week I played with color just to get into it, but today I decided to really focus on understanding the forms by drawing. One thing I struggle with in a scene with tons of small flowers is focusing on one specific area. My eyes tend to bounce all over the place. I end up drawing/painting what I think I see rather than what is actually there. So I really tried to stay true to whichever little spot I was looking at. Making observational notes about how things are formed or shapes they remind me of is great for quick reference in the future.

Day 09 – Dried Flowers

It was a completely miserable day, pouring rain non-stop. So I placed some dried flowers on the windowsill to draw them and it was a great exercise.

Day 10 – Local Gardens

I took a mini trip to the local gardens but the only thing in bloom were a handful of Ranunculus. They had not quite opened yet, but it was nice to study the bulbous forms.

Day 11 – Dandelions

I was totally not in the mood but I wandered into the garden to paint whatever flower I could find. At the time, I was very frustrated and felt like it was pointless. But I pushed those negative thoughts out of my head and just got to work. Doing small studies repeatedly might not seem useful, but I know from experience that over time the brush miles add up.

Day 12 – Castle Gardens

We finally got some sun, and it was perfect timing for my local plein air group meet up. We meet once a month at various locations. This time we chose Brodie Castle because the daffodils were in bloom. They also have a wonderful garden where I found tons of inspiration.

Day 13 – Layers

I was super busy so I needed something close to home. These lovely wild current flowers line my driveway so it was the perfect subject. I wanted to practice layering from cool to warm, capturing the effect of light on the edge of the bush.

Day 14 – The Pond

On the way home from errands I saw this lovely little pond with flowers and got really inspired to paint. After sketching I realized I forgot my brushes! I was so annoyed.

I ended up finishing it at home. But it was a blessing in disguise because I had been testing my “minimal” kit for my upcoming trip to Skye. As much as I love minimal packing I still need brushes 😂

As a reminder, next week I’m away on the Isle of Skye, so my video and blog post will be delayed a few days.

Watch the Video