Summer - The Season To Gather and to Sketch/Paint What's Harvested; Foundation Pieces for Fall/Winter's Large Artworks
Above: Digitally created image using my paintings; plans / layout designs for Fall/Winter artworks. © Above: Detail from my recent watercoloring painting, Six Big Leaf Maple Seed Portraits . © I have spent much of my summer sketching and then watercolor painting Maple tree samaras, those winged-seeds we often call helicopters . Yet, I have gathered and harvested a diverse collection of seeds, pods and flowers. My freezer is filled with them. The photo below of the plate in my freezer was taken in late June. There are so many more seeds and pods in my freezer now. That is because of the vast diversity of flora here. It is so visually inviting. Too, I am learning how to preserve seeds, without mold or rot, for long periods so as to be used for art studies. When I have gained that knowledge, no more seeds, pods or more will be housed in my freezer, hopefully. Let's go back to the image at the top of the page. The samaras of a Big Leaf Maple tree are twice th...
