Working in Botanicals

WORKING IN BOTANI c ALS

I have always loved botanicals.

Soaking in the flowers and leaves around me—whether in a trusty houseplant or bountiful floral arrangement, out in my garden or nature, or depicted in a larger-than-life floral pattern—has been a passion of mine since I was very small. My mom introduced me to the softness and texture of botanicals from a very young age. Now, with a little family of my own, I find sanctuary in our small urban garden in Seattle. My husband is the mastermind behind the edibles in our green space, and I love finding heirloom flowers to plant in our beds. I surround his carefully laid rows of kale, corn, collard greens, snap peas, and beets with my wild patches of sunflowers, roses, lavender, beauty berry, chamomile, peonies, bearded irises, lilies, and dahlias. Our two small daughters know where to find the homegrown snacks and love munching fennel, strawberries, and carrots as they come into season. We spend time together every year combing through seed catalogs, selecting which plants to grow, and talking about our favorites from previous seasons. Friends visit and dig in the dirt with us, constructing “Fairy Huts” from fallen tree branches and lending a helping hand to tie back unruly raspberry bushes. Time in the garden rejuvenates my spirit and creates wonderful memories. It also provides endless inspiration for my art.

From spending all this time in my garden, I’ve learned that there is nuance in every movement and detail within each individual plant. Leaf shapes and their veins are a plant’s thumbprint. How a leaf connects to its stem, the angle at which the leaves grow, the lines or shapes that repeat and reveal patterns, the plant’s natural shape—whether it curves toward the earth or defies gravity and reaches for the light—I like to just sit and notice the flawless design of nature, one branch, one flower, one leaf at a time.

As you observe with this eye for detail, the world will open up to you. You will just start to see more. Leaves are no longer “green”—they are composed of Sage, Viridian, and Terre Verte; they are textured, detailed, and dynamic. When examining a leaf or flower, I ask myself: if I were to paint this, what colors would I use? For instance, the sky is not just blue—it’s Payne’s Gray with glowing clouds of white gouache, streaks of Lavender, and hints of Orange, Lemon Yellow, and Yellow Ochre. This is how I interpret the world now. And soon, with practice, you will, too.

I know it’s not realistic to assume that everyone, on any given day, can go out and pick flowers and arrange an aesthetically pleasing flower bouquet as inspiration. Luckily, photography works just as well. There are so many incredible florists sharing their work on social media—scroll through and find your favorites. Let the beauty of the image wash over you, examine the details up close, and feel that connection to whatever makes the botanicals special. These images have become sources of endless delight for me as a painter, allowing me to render plants and flowers I never would have laid eyes on in my own little corner of the world.

BOTANICAL LESSONS Watercolor Projects

WELCOME TO THE WATERCOLOR LESSONS !

I am so happy you’re here. I created all of these lessons to help you refine your skills while simultaneously absorbing the meditative and restorative process of watercolor and painting gorgeous works of art. Wash by wash, a creative piece will blossom beneath your hand as you grow more comfortable in the medium. By allowing yourself to play with techniques in various ways with the following projects, you’re not only refusing to be intimidated to begin, you are learning and growing every time you sit down and pick up your paintbrush. Let’s look at a quick roadmap for the lessons ahead.

The first set of lessons (Lessons 1–6) incorporates the fundamental techniques we explore in Basic Watercolor Techniques (page 26)—techniques you will use over and over as you watercolor your way through this book and beyond. Don’t be fooled by the word “fundamental!” These lessons aren’t boring or basic—they’re meant to shape the foundation of your knowledge in this art, which applies even if you already have a watercolor practice. The better you become at creating a lovely wet-in-wet, blended boundary, the more beautiful your finished piece will be at the end. These beginning lessons are fun and low-pressure. They invite you to mix, blend, and dab your way into the lovely swirling flow of the watercolor art. They are my favorite exercises to warm up with, or to use as a mindfulness practice when the creative ideas are not quite flowing.

The second set of lessons (Lessons 7–11) integrates the fundamentals, encouraging you to practice your skill set in new and challenging ways. These projects are all watercolor-based and are organized progressively, with each lesson building on the techniques used in the one before.

The third set of lessons (Lessons 12–16) introduces creative ways to combine your watercolor skills with gouache and ink. These lessons build on the skills from the first eleven lessons and stretch your creativity to combine these mediums in new and exciting ways.

Beginning with the second set of lessons, I provide suggestions for how to make each lesson simpler or more challenging. I know you all come to this book with different levels of experience, so I want to be sure to include something for everyone! For lessons 7–16, take a look at both the “beginner” and “advanced” tracks and follow what feels best for you. You may want to work through all of the lessons taking the beginner suggestions first, then do the lessons a second time, following the intermediate path that I laid out, step by step for each chapter. Then you can return for another layer of difficulty, and challenge yourself with the advanced prompts, and observe how your skills have evolved. If you are more advanced in your practice, rest assured that I include enough detail and variation in the lessons to keep you stimulated and inspired—and if you’re anything like me, you may want to try some lessons at the beginner level for ease of practice, or to get back to that beginner state of mind. Again—it’s all up to you and may change just based on your mood or energy level that day. Go with what feels best! 