Alliums
I started drawing alliums once I discovered how Kraft paper enhanced whites and greens. These are my favorite now and I never tire of revealing their paper-thin layers and twisting scapes.
The drawing above is of a scape that was allowed to come to seed and then dry out as it’s bulb was curing in my sister Madeline’s loft. I had never seen this stage of the garlic’s growth before and was compelled to capture it on Kraft paper.
The garlic and torpedo shallot below are part of a bookmark series of drawings. Sometimes, I create bookmark size drawings when a full-size drawing just seems to elude me.
Gourds
Another workshop with Draw Botanical in the fall of 2022 focused on drawing pumpkins and gourds. On a trip out to Wollam Gardens, I was able to find these amazing gourds. I drew a few and the pumpkin but they are calling me to draw them as a family! They may become a project for the winter months of 2023.
My daughter, Sarah, was using a homeopathic containing Henbane so I found photos to draw these fascinating flowers since Henbane is considered a noxious weed in the US where it is eradicated due to it’s toxicity to animals and humans. It is, however, cultivated under greenhouse conditions for medicinal uses.
African Bush Daisy (Osteospermum) leaves have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and repel mosquitos! The seeds contain pyrethrum oil which either kills flying insects, stops them from biting, or forces them to leave the area where pyrethrum is used.
Medicinal flowers
