Tuesday, July 2, 2019



After ‘Praising Plants’ followed ‘Ode to All Oak Trees’. Allow me now to present ‘Sophisticated Succulents’. This softly rendered graphite drawing shows Living Stones, Echeverias, and String of Pearls succulents, plus many more. Of course, setting up this composition made me buy a few more succulents which was part of the joy of drawing this ‘desert garden’. 
Initially, I liked to add the title ‘Sophisticated Succulents’ in classical, elegant letters but then I thought no. Succulents aren’t elegant. They are cute but basic, strong and bulky. They spend all their lives surviving harsh conditions. Thus, I added a letter type that resembles their shape; basic, cute, bulky, as if full with stored water. I am always amazed and delighted how much thinking goes into a square inch of a detailed drawing. 
Succulents grow in the Netherlands indoors. You can put them outside during the summer, but I prefer them indoors for keeping dry and happy. I lost succulents to root rot, which happens when their soil doesn't dry out enough. 

What is your most inspiring succulent related place? A desert? A shop? Mine is the Desert Garden of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

Paula Kuitenbrouwer 
At Etsy

2 comments:

  1. This is a sweet drawing. It makes me want another succulent. :)
    My favorite desert garden is in Tuscon, Arizona. https://www.desertmuseum.org/

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  2. Lisa, that is such interesting place; it combines plants and animals.

    ReplyDelete

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