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Drawing from the Garden, Painting Botanicals, rachel carson beauty of the earth, Timeout for Art - Bringing Nature Inside
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
— Rachel Carson
My friends’ Mindo garden inspired this Timeout for Art, although the true inspiration came from two forlorn vinyl “For Sale” signs that cluttered their storage room.
After scrubbing the panels with soapy water, we prepped them with a white acrylic sealer for a clean painting surface then went to the gardens for inspiration. Contemplating the beauty of the garden plants, we set the panels near the orchids and zebra plants. Julie watched as I drew the basic shapes. Tiny biting insects and not-so-tiny mosquitoes prompted us to clip some of foliage for reference material and move the panels inside.
With the panels flat on the floor, we washed the background with acrylic, let that dry and washed the yellow in the veins of the leaves. We mixed a range of greens from very dark to yellow green and slowly built the layers of color in each leaf. After the green areas were finished, we mixed yellows with whites and strengthened the veins of each leaf.
Zebra Plant and Orchid (Left Panel)
Although the pigments didn’t match the color family for the orchid, we mixed reds and whites, purples, pinks and blues – some of those were cheap hobby paints – and we were pleased with the results.
Although we did not finish, the studies were strong enough to hang in my friends’ home until my next visit. Sometimes it’s nice to bring a bit of the garden inside where it can live forever!
Not bad for a discarded set of “For Sale ” signs, right?!
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
You did Rachel Carson proud.
thank you.. a few days ago i was watching the birds, and they were silent.. there was no wind, and it was truly an eerie/creepy feeling – the absence of sound in nature. i thought of rachel carson and hope that we never witness a true silent nature. if so, we’re dead, but you know that! z
Beautiful!
Not bad? I love them. You creative energy is amazing, Lisa.
thank you, otto, and you are always an inspiration. you juggle your work and your blog well, and always have time to encourage others. happy holidays! z
Very beautiful artwork Z! 🙂
thank you! it was a great few days of painting! z
Your colour combination lifts the spirits!
thanks! your spirits are surely soaring – always, as you pass along so much positive energy.
how’s the weather for the holiday season? fine i hope!
Lovely!
Lovely! You make it look so easy.
only because i have about a zillion hours’ experience! thanks!
So very pretty, Lisa, and such dynamic compositions, too! Thanks for sharing!
thank you cindy! your posts are always inspiring, whether they’re about art or about your life. happy holidays! z
Happy holidays to you, too, my friend!
Exceptional as always
thanks margo! how’s vilcabamba?!
Gorgeous! And I LOVE zebra plants. 🙂
thanks! this particular one is about four or five feet tall.. it’s so wonderful to see them growing in their preferred habitat. z
beautiful
thank you! z
You are an inspiration on how use time and available materials productively.
you’re equally resourceful! thanks!
So beautiful!
thank you! happy holidays to both of you!
You always amaze me, Lisa.
thank you, amiga.. you have the same gifts and creative ways to find solutions. sorry i’ve been so silent/offline…
z
An inspiration Lisa. I love the flowing and swaying feeling you have captured
thanks! it was fun to convert the old signs into more-positive art!
Stunning.
thank you! hope you have a wonderful holiday season! z
Seriously, not bad for two old for sale signs. I’m intrigued by your washing techniques and layering. When you say you wash the background, does that mean you add a lot of water to the acrylic paint? These panels are gorgeous. I can’t wait to see the finished product.
yes, the signs were stretched with strong ‘stretcher’ frames, and the vinyl was strong – so why not? we were a long way from a carpenter’s shop, and this was quite easy! they had agua stop/a roller, and julie had acrylic paints and brushes!
Recycling at its best. They are beautiful as they are…unfinished.
thanks amiga! i wish i could find more stretched signs awaiting facelifts! z
lovely, love the layering of colors. I agree, are beautiful as they are
thank you! the zebra plant required much more attention and time than the orchids did. The middle ground needs more depth, and there are a few more details waiting for the next session.
z
Wonderful!
Thank you! Botanicals are challenging yet rewarding… Z
They are, what with the different shapes, textures and colors! Hope that you are doing well Z!
I love them!
Thanks!
I’ll come back and read your entry in a bit, but I wanted to post this photo for you. I found what I think of as the Hotel Z in Camp Wood, Texas. At first I thought, arts and crafts people have taken over an old building. Then I thought: someone with a sense of humor moved in. Then, days later, it finally occurred to me that it might very well be a community of people who’ve moved north from your part of the world. It certainly would fit in well, wouldn’t it? All it needs are some painted light poles in front!
this made me chuckle before even following the link! you’ve definitely trumped ‘dinner’ which is quite late for me but i worked/painted through lunch and came to town at dark and nothing was open and now… i will wait a bit longer as i have to see this hotel Z in camp wood texas! thanks!!!!
you are right! maybe the magic carpet needs dusting off and i’ll come get you and we’ll show up with paints and brushes and add a bit more design to their lovely colors!
z
Isn’t this fun? I say the magic carpet would look great parked in front of this one. A good evening to you!
I dig your versions of those zebra plants.
thanks! i’d forgotten about those until i saw them in the garden. they were fun to draw, but a bit challenging to paint. the orchids were much easier.
What a lovely idea. I might go and have a skulk about… 🙂
fun! i wish i were there to peer over your shoulder and look for treasures! z
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