Botanical Illustration III: Advanced Techniques Final Portfolio Below is my final portfolio from a course I completed in March 2014 that was offered by the Extension and Outreach Program of Cornell University. Learn more about the course in my blog.
Viburnum utile 'Chesapeake' and Cornus sericea Watercolor and colored pencil on paper 8.5" x 10.5" (22 x 27 cm) Service Viburnum (Viburnum utile) is a small shrub that is native to China and used in landscapes in the US. The cultivar 'Chesapeake' is semi-evergreen in the northeast US, with shiny winter leaves that range from dark red to dark green to to warm brown to almost black. Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a shrub that is native to most of North America. It has bright to dark red stems that are especially noticeable in winter. Both of these shrubs grow in my garden and brighten the cold days of winter. The shiny dark leaves of the viburnum contrast nicely with the smooth red twigs of the dogwood.
Quercus prinus Ink wash on paper 8.5" x 10.5" (22 x 27 cm) Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus), a tree native to the eastern US, usually grows on dry slopes. Oaks (Quercus spp) are members of the beech (Fagaceae) family, which also includes American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). Young trees of the beech family often hold onto their dried leaves in winter, making them interesting botanical art subjects. For this drawing, I selected a Chestnut Oak branch with several round stem galls. Galls are swellings that form when insects such as wasps or midges lay eggs in the plant tissue. Galls are common on oaks. Historically, an ink was made from oak galls, so I thought it was appropriate to include galls in my ink drawing.
Rhododendron mucronulatum Colored pencil on paper 8.5" x 10.5" (22 x 27 cm) Korean Rhododendron (Rhododendron mucronulatum) is a deciduous shrub that is native to Asia. It is a popular landscape shrub in the US because it has lovely purplish pink flowers that bloom in March or April. This shrub grows in my garden. I took some stem cuttings on February 2 and forced them into bloom indoors, which took about three weeks. This stem made an excellent botanical art subject for a cold winter day.
Iris versicolor Colored pencil on paper 8.5" x 11" (22 x 28 cm) Larger Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) is the most common native species of iris in my area. I often see it in bloom in wetlands during late spring walks. I also have a small patch of I. versicolor growing near my garden pond. This drawing was done from photographs I have taken.
Hamamelis X intermedia Ink wash on paper 8.5" x 11" (22 x 28 cm) The subject of this drawing is an unidentified cultivar of Hamamelis X intermedia. The genus Hamamelis is commonly called witch hazel. Hamamelis X intermedia is a
group of shrubs that are hybrids between H.
japonica, native to Japan,
and H. mollis, native to China. They
are popular landscape shrubs in the US because of
their bright yellow, often fragrant, flowers that bloom in mid to late winter.
The shrubs are low maintenance and do well in sun to part shade and average
garden soil. About twenty years ago, I planted several cultivars of the Asian Hamamelis species in my garden. All have
done well and have shown no invasive tendencies.
On February 2, I took stem cuttings of this shrub to force into bloom indoors, which took five days. It was a welcome, fragrant
botanical art subject. There also is a species of witch hazel that is native to eastern North America, H. virginiana. It is a common shrub of the forest understory, and it blooms in late October and early November.
Fagus grandifolia
Pen and ink on paper
9”
x 12” (23 x 30 cm) Like the Chestnut Oak above, young American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) tree branches hold onto the previous season's dried foliage through winter. The leaves are a rich golden brown in early winter and fade to a light tan in late winter.
Copyright 2013-2014 Edna Greig. All rights reserved.