Drafting A Toyon Leaf

I found a few toyon leaves with beautiful brown spots on them. The ambition was to paint them in watercolor. After a quick draft of the first one I started to debate whether just to draw in graphite because there are so many veins!

May The Bb Power Be With You!
Ellie

Enjoy a Bowl of Blue Dicks Salad

Dichelostemma capitatum

Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: Dichelostemma
Species: D. capitatum

Commonly called blue dicks, this perennial plant grows in Arizona, California, Oregon, Utah, and New Mexico. Its corm used to be consumed by Native Americans. I've never tasted the corm, but I do like the taste of the flower.
From early spring to early summer, the blue-purple color flowers can be collected, rinsed, and used in your salad as a surprise from the Mother Nature! They have a natural salty mineral flavor, and crunchy texture which I found delicious when combined with fresh peas. I used only mayonnaise, olive oil, salt and pepper to make the dressing since I wanted to keep the original flavors of both peas and blue dicks.

Below is a shot of blue dicks and Giant Coreopsis on Anacapa Island back in March.

You should still be able to find blue dicks in June, so use it in your own cooking experiment next time!

May The Bb Power Be With You,
Ellie

New Projects- Tambour Beading and Bush Mallow

Just a shot of the embroidery project I'm working on. The pattern is from professor Robert Haven. I can't wait to make the finished piece into a brooch!

Besides of the embroidery, I'm also working on a vellum painting of bush mallow.

Cyrano La Tomate- Watercolor

This is a tomato (or should I say two tomatoes?) I found at a local organic farmers' market. I named it Cyrano because it has a big nose. However, some people who saw the painting thought it looks more like the heart of an ox or a big animal. For sure it is a tomato with character!

A peek of the painting process:

About this artwork:

Original size: 4.5"x 6"
Paper: Fabriano Hot Press 140 Lb

May The Bb Power Be With You,
Ellie 

Camillia- Watercolor on Vellum

Camillia japonica
Family: Theaceae
Genus: Camillia
Species: C. japonica

In late March, I took a workshop at Filoli Gardens with Denise Walser-Kolar, a Minnesota-based botanical artist specializes in vellum. We got to choose a flower from the garden. I don't know which cultivar it is but it is surely beautiful.

I found vellum very satisfying to paint on and liked in particular the meticulous painting process. It makes me feel that I'm a step closer to the painters back in the Medieval period.

Below is the process of this painting. Pencil drafting stage is skipped though.

About this artwork:
Original size: 4.75"x 7"
Paper: Calfskin vellum by Talas

May The Bb Power Be With You,
Ellie

Friends of Different Colors

Rainier: I'm Rainier, the one with beautiful yellow and red color combination. This is my friend Bing, we both grew up in Gilroy, California.

Bing: Yeah, we grew up on the same piece of fertile land, got equal amount of sunshine and absorbed the same kind of water and nutritions, but he is creamy pale. He blushes easily. My skin is well tanned and shinny (Rainier: But I'm taller than you are!). Hey, you know, you should actually call me Dad? I was created back in 1875 in Oregon. I'm named after the Chinese foreman Ah Bing who worked for the horticulturist Seth Lewelling. And you are a cross between me and Van cherry, developed at Washington in 1952.

Rainier: Can we just be FRIENDS? I'm not calling you Dad! It's embarrassing... (blushing all the way up to the stem).

Bing: All right, all right, stop turning red! Friends it is, good friends.

About this artwork:
Materials: watercolor, Arches Hot Press 140 lb watercolor paper.

May The Bb Power Be With You!

Thank You, Mom!

It's Mother's Day! Wherever your dear mommy is, I hope you enjoy a warm conversation with her today through telephone, email, text, prayer, telling her in person.....any way!

About this Freesia painting:
Materials: watercolor, Arches Hot Press 140 lb watercolor paper.

May The Bb Power Be With You!
Ellie