Island Manzanita: Flower and Apple

Arctostaphylos insularis
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Arctostaphylos
Species: A. insularis

Island manzanita is endemic to Santa Cruz Island of Channel Islands of California.
In late December of 2014, I was commissioned to do 2 series of pen and ink drawings of native plants on Channel Islands. During the 2 month span of the first project, the island manzanita trees in the Channel Islands Native Garden changed a few phases already: budding, flowering, bearing apples. The young apples have this refreshing green that is hard to replicate. The bell shape flowers are white under a coat of peachy pink hue. It was a delight to just look at the rich colors shown on such a little branch.

A closeup of the flowers and apples:

Manzanita was widely used by Chumash Indians. In a very interesting book Living Wild written by Alicia Funk and Karin Kaufman, the two ladies introduce a few ways to enjoy manzanita: manzanita blossom jelly, manzanita crackers, manzanita muffins...etc. I haven't had a chance to try the recipes, but it's definitely on my bucket list to experiment in a near future!

Alicia Funk's The Living Wild Project website: www.livingwild.org
You can find their book Living Wild online or try with your local botanic garden. I found my copy at the gift shop of Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

About this artwork:
Original size: 4"x 6"
Paper: Fabriano Hot Press 140 Lb
Colored pencils: Faber-Castell and Caran d'Ache

May The Bb Power Be With You,
Ellie

White Sapote

Casimiroa edulis
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Casimiroa
Species: C. edulis

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden has a rare fruit area showcases several kinds of sapote trees. White sapote is native to eastern Mexico, Central America, and south to Costa Rica. The fruit is averagely about the same or slightly bigger than an apple. Like avocado, you have to pick the fruit when it's green, wait for a few days until it is ripe and soft. I always tell people who;s not familiar with the fruit that it tastes custardy and creamy. It's actually similar to atemoya (a hybrid of sugarapple and cherimoya).

This is a colored pencil drawing I made in the early winter of 2014. Of course, after being my model for 3 days, this sweet and delicious sapote was eaten! The luxury of being a botanical artist is that you get to eat your models sometimes! (Of course it's not fun when I work on a poison oak illustration recently...)

Here is a closeup of the stem part:

About this artwork:
Original size: 11" x 14"
Paper: Fabriano Hot Press 140 Lb.
Colored pencils: Faber-Castell and Caran d'Ache

May The Bb Power Be With You,
Ellie