Inspiration:

It's pouring with rain and I've been lucky enough to have spent some of the afternoon curled in front of a heater with the SBA's Silver Jubilee Exhibition 2010 catalogue in hand. I've been admiring several artists' work - especially "Cypriedium japonicum' by Eiko Hamada - it's absolutely stunning even when viewed as a 10 x 7 cm pic.!! I'd love to see the actual painting in the flesh. Unfortunately I couldn't find a direct link to a personal website featuring her work.

"Cabbage" by Paul Fennell (see members at  http://www.soc-botanical-artists.org ) is equally beautiful, with wonderful movement and spatial depth. Another SBA artist whose work has (for me) the same 'dramatic' quality is Scottish artist Fiona Strickland.

 

"Protea studies"

Pencil on Bockingford paper

Copyright (All Rights Reserved) Denise I Ryan 2010

Finally today I thought I'd include a few pics from a second Protea study I've been working on. An artist friend once told me that they couldn't go back to the same subject again and again as I do - but as I'm determined to master the intricacy of the form, revisiting the plant is the best possible way for me to do this. This time I'm concentrating on simplifying my approach and maintaining good tonal contrast - something I struggled with when working on the previous drawing (see previous blog). Already I feel that this unfinished work is more successful...