Flora of Scotland

I’ve begun to go through the photos from my trip, deleting duplicates and rejects, and picking out the photos that I’d like to paint. Most of the pictures I took were of landscapes, but whenever I got an opportunity, I took photos of any of the flowers that I found.

Here are some of my observations:

• When I was visiting at the end of May, there were the most beautiful rhododendrons in bloom wherever I went. Many people had them planted in their gardens, trimmed in the shape of little trees. They were also growing in the woods along the roadsides as well. I’ve never seen so many healthy and gorgeous rhododendrons.

• I noticed that columbines grew very well in Scotland and I saw them frequently. Bluebells were also blooming when I went and I saw many little meadows that were covered in the purple flowers. I also spotted peonies in bloom, fuchsia, primroses, and plenty of Scotch Broom covering the landscape.

• One thing I noticed that surprised me was that there were palm trees planted in some places. I was surprised that they were able to grow in that climate, but it must not get as cold in the winter in the areas where I saw them.

• I saw the cutest little gardens featuring tons of potted plants. You could tell that there were many people who took a lot of pride in their gardens and I got a few nice photos that I want to paint in watercolor.

Below, I draw a faux orchid that was in one of the hotels I stayed in. I sketched it from life on my iPad when I was waiting to leave in the morning, and then painted the color from a photo after I got home.

We visited a few different castles (too many, honestly) and I noticed that these little purple-flowered vines (Kenilworth Ivy) were growing all over the place in the cracks between the stones.

Below, I made a kind of digital sketchbook page, having scanned one of my sketchbooks on a blank open spread, and then using a paper texture to draw on in Procreate. I’d like to experiment more with these kinds of spreads and maybe doing some digital collage.

As we move through time and space, that position alters, and consequently, so does our angle of vision. -David Hockney

Some links for you:

• I thought this little mouse house was so cute. When my daughter was young, I got crafty to an extent, but I never tried anything so ambitious. It’s so special when a mom makes memories for her kids like this.

• This video (not too long) explains the history of the famous “Anthora” Greek-stylized New York coffee cup. It’s an interesting story about how the cup was first created as a sales tactic to capitalize on the nostalgia of Greek-American diner owners.

• I love this website dirtylittlezine.com, which is a free browser-based tool that allows you to quickly design a one-page mini zine. It is great for someone who wants something simple, or maybe doesn’t have experience or access to design software. After you finish, you can submit your finished zine so other people can find it. It’s a great site and definitely was a labor of love to create. The internet needs more things like this.

Until next time,