A watercolor only sketch of a beautiful red lily in a neighbor’s yard. Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
Flowers
Kousa Dogwood
We have a Kousa Dogwood tree in the front yard of our house. It is a beautiful tree and the blooms are amazing right now. The tree is a waterfall of 4 pedal white flowers than cover the tree all the way to the ground. Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook.
Garden Fountain II
We spent a very nice Father’s Day at my In-laws house. The weather was beautiful sitting on the patio listening to the fountain spilling into the pool. The blue on the water is too much and should be more subtle with a little darker background. Lamy Safari fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
“I must have flowers, always, and always.” – Claude Monet
A couple of quick sketches of some of the flowers that we have in our garden. They are all perennials and the Lupines and Bleeding Hearts are new this year. Lamy fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
Lupines
The Fort Hill area of Eastham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod is a beautiful rolling field overlooking the ocean that explodes with colorful wild flowers in late spring and early summer. On this day, the first bloomers are the Lupines in a compact area just off of the trail. Lupines have soft green to grey-green leaves which may be coated in silvery hairs, often densely so. The leaf blades are usually palmately divided into five to 28 leaflets. The flowers are produced in dense or open whorls on an erect spike, each flower 1–2 cm long. The pea-like flowers have an upper standard, or banner, two lateral wings, and two lower petals fused into a keel. The flower shape has inspired common names such as bluebonnets and Quaker bonnets. Holbein watercolors with Lukas gouache and Faber-Castell Art Pens in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
Golden Shower Tree
The Golden Shower Tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and adjacent regions of Southeast Asia. The golden shower tree is a medium-sized tree, growing to 33–66 ft tall with fast growth. The leaves are deciduous and the flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 8″ – 16″ long with many individual flowers. In full bloom, the tree looks like a waterfall or shower of golden yellow draping flowers. This is tree is actually in our yard and is amazing that it is growing this far north. Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
Blue Flowers
My wife Lisa took a photo of some beautiful little blue flowers peaking out from under out porch steps. I am not sure what they are, but we were taken by the contrast between the blue flowers and the deep shadows under the steps. I know we did not plant them under the steps, so they are a wonderful Spring surprise. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook.
Magnolia
Magnolias are thought to be one of the first flowering plants to evolve on Earth. According to the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, fossil remains show that magnolias were around some for 100 million years. Basically all magnolias follow the same blueprint. Ancient magnolias are still recognizable today as magnolias. Therefore, a magnolia means stability and grace through the ever changing ages. We simply enjoy the beautiful flowers as they bloom in the Spring. This year, the flowers remained on the tree much longer than usual without the rain and wind to take them too early. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
Purple Tulips
Another color of our tulips that are in full bloom in our yard. This one is a little looser style which I like better than the others. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Black ink with Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
Pink Tulip
Another color of our tulips that are in full bloom in our yard. Yea Spring! Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Black ink with Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
A SKETCHBOOK ODYSSEY 