Shell Ginger

© Ellen Blonder

Shell ginger is one of my favorite flowers in Hawaii. I rescued this one from the gardener's trash pile. 

Red Heliconia

© Ellen Blonder

Another heliconia from the same sunshine market bouquet in Kauai. 

Orange Heliconia

© Ellen Blonder

My first watercolor sketch in Kauai this year is of an orange heliconia from a sunshine market bouquet. 

Ivory Dahlia

© Ellen Blonder

Last watercolor of the year. This is an ivory-colored dahlia from an Oregon friend's garden. I loved the flower's frilliness and graceful curled petals. 

Pink and Yellow Dahlia - Start to Finish

 © Ellen Blonder

Last year, I photographed dahlias at the botanical garden in Fort Bragg, California. It has taken me this long to finally paint from those. 

  © Ellen Blonder

This flower seemed to glow from within, with delicate pinks layered over pale yellow on the inner parts of the petals.

 © Ellen Blonder

I've been working on this water color off and on over this last week. Time to stop fussing and getting to some of those other reference photos of these wildly varied flowers.

Mauve Dahlia - Final

© Ellen Blonder

Since the last post, I've been adding more blacks mixed with the pink-mauve. I was planning to add a leaf or two, but decided I like this the way it is. Done.

Mauve Dahlia - 2

© Ellen Blonder

It always feels like the first layer of basic color will be dark enough, but it never is once I start adding shadows. I'm slowly layering in darker shades.

Mauve Dahlia - 1

© Ellen Blonder

Back from a drive into Oregon, where I saw this lovely dahlia. I'm starting a watercolor of it, and this is the first two days' progress.

© Ellen Blonder

Tulip Studies

I found a great bunch of tulips at the market last week. I may work them into an acrylic painting, but for now, I've photographed them, then painted some quick watercolor studies in my sketchbook. 

Lupine - 3 Final

It's starting to feel overworked, so I'm going to stop now.

Lupine - 2

© Ellen Blonder

I spent a little time laying in base colors, and now I'll keep shading them. The tricky part is keeping the petals delicate. 

Big Goat Painting - 2

© Ellen Blonder

Roughing in background today, trying to be patient about more careful painting later. 

Speckled Rooster 10

© Ellen Blonder

Adding a blue sky always changes the balance, but I can't seem to resist. Getting close to finished now.

Speckled Rooster 9

© Ellen Blonder

 © Ellen Blonder

Nice to be painting again after a short break. 

Speckled Rooster 8

© Ellen Blonder

I spent all day working on the upper left corner of the painting. I don't know what the giant-leaved plant is, but I loved its ridges and cupped shape. The tree trunk is something I saw covered with moss, then planted with staghorn and other ferns. 

Speckled Rooster 7 - Anthuriums

© Ellen Blonder

The last couple of days, I've been working on the anthuriums in the lower left corner. They're actually darker, but I took some artistic license. I may mute them after I've gotten more painted.

Speckled Rooster 6

© Ellen Blonder

Now that the rooster is pretty much done, I can start on the flora. This guy was fun to paint because there was so much going on with his feathers.

Daphne - Final

© Ellen Blonder

Here's Daphne, finished, in her new setting. It turned out to be a daunting challenge to paint a white bird and still show feather details. 

postscript: Oh, dear, visiting her today, a fellow visitor told me "she" turned out to be a "he." And he/she is a much warmer white than I painted, so I may revisit this painting after I let it sit a while.

Is This a Protea?

© Ellen Blonder

Along with the anthurium (see other post from today), the cheese tray was adorned with this flower. I think Jackie said it was a "topika," but I couldn't find a reference to any such word. It looks like it's some kind of protea, perhaps, and she said it grows inland and at altitude in Kauai. Anyone know more?

Abutilon Water Color-Final

© Ellen Blonder

Finally done.