Adorable Rosa Bianca Eggplant

Rosa Bianca Eggplant - © 2011 by Linda Warner Constantino

The color and shape of this little eggplant compelled me to paint it for a botanical illustration project. I am used to painting landscapes outside–en plein air but, painting vegetables was a bit different.  I sat outside and sketched it to get a feel for it, but it was so hot and I seem to have an infestation of relentless, biting ants in my garden that forced me inside. The heat here in South Carolina can be particularly brutal in the summer. I took some photos and this is really the first time I have worked from a photo for a botanical illustration, though I did pick the actual eggplant in order to paint it from life.

Speaking of outdoor plant painting adventures. I recently read about a botanical artist named Margaret Mee who was British and moved to Brazil and bravely went up the Amazon to paint as many species as she could. Some had never been seen and some were in danger of disappearing. She sensed the fragility of the rain forest and was driven to document as many plants as she could. She apparently had some adventures and unexpected encounters on her excursions back in the 1950s. From what I have read she sounds like she was quite a character and definitely a woman before her time. I am sure she had far more than ants with which to contend.There is a book containing her diaries and sketches called Margaret Mee's Amazon: Diaries of an Artist Explorer.

Beauty and Hotness

Copyright © 2011 by Linda Warner Constantino

I have spent some time painting from life in my vegetable garden this summer. The heat and relentless ants have made it challenging. Before I could paint this sunflower in its classic beauty, it was already past its prime. I could not bear to pull it up and became captivated with how it changed as it progressed through its end stages and found an elegance that I tried to capture in this study. The curling of the petals and the leaves had visual rhythm and dignity to them. Beauty redefined.

Inspiration and Incubation

A cabin in the mountains of North Carolina

Summer is the time of year that spend some time painting for me. I explore and find new inspirations. I watch the gardens grow and change and love regular trips to the local nurseries and farmers markets. I was recently up in the mountains of North Carolina for my wedding anniversary, where we have been many times but I was still struck by its natural beauty.  It was not a painting trip but I loved soaking in all on the colors, shapes and textures of my natural surroundings.  We never miss a trip to the Farmers Market up by Asheville. The watermelons were delicious and I love the design of them. Trend color inside!

Watermelons at the Farmers Market Near Asheville, NC