More Spring Sketches

Crocus, early spring, wc & ink

As days lengthen and the light returns, so many flowers and plants start returning too. Although my practice over the years has included few floral paintings or drawings, the simple joy of new bright colors and warm breezes has tempted me this spring. In our climate in the upper Midwest, spring blossoms usually make their first appearance in very late March or early April. Our gardens have accumulated quite a lot of early flowering bulbs, particularly Siberian squill and crocus. The crocus in one of our beds popped up while there was still a scrap or two of late snow lingering in the shadows. I managed one little 3x5 watercolor of a few of them, peeking through bark mulch. It's great how they propagate with little attention.

Narcissi, wc & ink

Next in the season succession here in Iowa are narcissi. Growing up I always loved the bright buttery yellows of daffodils; sometimes my mother called those "jonquils" but both of those names are common ones for plants in the genus Narcissus. Regardless, these beauties are the first flowers of any size to emerge in springtime. Our garden has at least a dozen different varieties, so it wasn't too difficult to sketch at least one clump. Although we do have a number of yellow varieties, it is the bi-colored one that attract me these days. These have white petals, yellow cups, and a beautiful orange-red center. The flowers can last a couple of weeks if the springtime temperatures stay below the mid-60s, but if the weather warms they fade entirely too fast.

Redbud branch, wc & ink

Flowering trees are a big favorite for many people. When the cherry blossoms emerge in Washington (and of course, Japan) in April you know that the seasons have at last changed. Here in Iowa we have others that signal the season--Bradford pear, redbud, magnolia trees--and along Druid Hill Creek is no exception. In the woods north of my studio are two or three redbud trees that have taken up residence in the last couple of decades, escapees no doubt from a garden in the neighborhood. Their cool red-pink flowers light up the bare branches around them. The big deciduous trees and all of the undergrowth come into leaf at about the same time, but it's the redbuds that draw attention. I did a sketch of one branch, just to study the tiny red-pink flowers. There is no use denying that a painting by Vincent van Gogh of almond flowers was in the back of my mind. The day was still one of those gray but bright spring days.

These sketches were done with an initial graphite sketch followed by paint then ink. Watercolor is an easy and portable way to sketch outdoors, so I'll continue using it. But this summer's plans also include some outdoor work in other mediums, even oil.