Coneflowers--Vickie Henderson

Seems like a strange time of year to be planting flowers, in the waning days of summer, but I did just that last week.  Drove by a flower center that had some of my favorite perennials on display and couldn't resist. I'm hoping they have enough time to root deeply enough for their reappearance next season. The surprising news, the first year's reappearance is guaranteed by the store!

Sometimes digging in the dirt is just what we need to feel grounded and productive.  And for another kind of deep enjoyment, just pick up a paint brush and try capturing that flower you love on paper.  I particularly enjoyed painting these flowers because I have missed them for so long.  An added plus, the hummingbirds chirping around the nectar feeders as I worked on these sketches.

This was only the second time I've tried painting on the spot without drawing and this time it felt delightful. There is something magical and loose about these flowers, inspiring me to create the petals by using clean water and allowing the pigment from the flower head (painted on dry paper) to flow into the petals. A relaxing and fun approach.

Coneflowers are part of the aster (asteraceae) family, along with sunflowers and, like sunflowers, have a flower head with many tiny blossoms.  This is clearly one of my favorite flower families!

To see more about how I painted these coneflowers visit:  Coneflowers--Wet-in-Wet and the Colors of White at my blog, Vickie's Sketchbook.