Red Chili Peppers

Some chili peppers for a good italian dish with pasta, olive oil, garlic and chili peppers.

Angela Maria Russo - Peperoncini - Watercolor on Magnani sketchbook

Anemone coronata

"Anemone coronaria - Poppy anemone" - Watercolor on Magnani sketchbook

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Greek anemone means "daughter of the wind". The "Metamorphoses" of Ovid tells that the plant was created by the goddess Venus when she sprinkled nectar on the blood of her dead lover Adonis.
The name "wind flower" is used for the whole genus .
The Anemone coronaria grows wild all over Israel and Jordan.
In 2013 Anemone coronaria was elected as the national flower of the State of Israel, ina pool arranged by the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel.

IKEBANA IN ROME

I was invited to draw during an ikebana lesson, this is one of my drawings.


Solanum Mammosum - Nipplefruit (yellow) - a plant from China and Japan
Diplocyclos palmatus - Striped cucumber (green) - from Africa and Asia

COLOMBIA

Do you know the name of this plant, please?

Angela Maria Russo - Angela Maria Russo -  Pianta tropicale a Cartagena de indias - acquerello su moleskine

Qualcuno sa dirmi il nome di questa pianta? E' un albero, l'ho dipinta in Colombia e si trovava di fronte al mare.

who knows the name of this plant? It is a tree. I painted it in Colombia and it was near the sea.

COTTON PLANT again!

First sketch and now painting

Angela Maria Russo "Gossypium - Pianta del cotone" - 46 x 61 - 2013

Cotton plant

Yesterday I bought two branches of the cotton plant.

This is the drawing.

Angela Maria Russo - "Cotone - Gossypium" watercolour on Magnani sketchbook

Botanical studies

During the past holiday weeks I decided to start working on some botanical sketches of leaves, just to start looking into the never-ending shades of greens and how to achieve them. I'm finding it very daunting yet fascinating. During the last year or so I started studying colours very thoroughly and in doing so I took out all the colours of my palette that didn't have the features I needed to achieve my goals. I ended up using a rather limited choice of favourite pigments which has been able to provide me with any colour I needed so far. I like keeping it simple to get the best and most varied mixes out of them. It worked, until I started mixing to match those greens... Any thought from the botanical artists reading this will be much appreciated.
http://matteogrilli.blogspot.com.au/

AUGURI

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Greetings  from Italy

Holm Oak - Quercus ilex

Leccio - Quercus ilex - watecolor on sketchbook Cartiere Magnani

I have painted this watercolour in the garden of my house near the sea, and these are the acorns of new year.

The holm oak is native of Mediterranean countries, it is a semi rustic tree.

This oak tree tolerates shade and air pollution, and so we can find it into parks and gardens.

its persistente leaves of 9 cm, though and small-sized stretched out . they are pinked, in the prickly cuts, the very bright average green because varnish for the top of leaves, downy on the underside.

Quercus ilex produces acorns green clear, than brown of 3 cm.

Figs and leaves

Black figs - watercolor on sketchbook Magnani

Magnolia leaves - colored pencils

Cattails In The Reeds

Cattails In The Reeds, a photo by Teri DC on Flickr.

Right next to Hardwood Range (from yesterday) I found a stand of cattails in amongst the reeds. Sketched them and wrote a haiku:
Hiding in the reeds
Announcing autumn is near
It's cattail time

Iris

A detail of one of my paintings about Iris germanica. This flower has bloomed in my garden few days ago

Iris germanica - watercolour on "Papier D'Arches" 300gr - hot pressed 

Delicate spring flowers

 

 Papaver rhoeas

 

                                 Narcissus poeticus

Two delicate flowers painted with watercolor  time ago for the book "Medicinal plants of Simbruini" 

Little flowers

two little flowers in the grass...spring is coming

Veronica persica, a hairy annual with brunches sprawling along the ground. Fruit capsule much broader than long, consisting of two diverging labes. Leaves pale green and flower blue, the lowest petal often is white.

Veronica persica and Sweet violet - watercolour on sketchbook Magnani
Angela Maria Russo

LICHENS

It seems that the lichens grow where there is humidity and no pollution.

This little branch was taken near my house, there are not doubts about humidity, about pollution I don’t know.

It’s true that around my house there  is a lot of green, but maybe lichens are just used to the smog.

Xanthoria parietina e  Chaenomeles japonica - watercolour on  Magnani sketchbook

Story of a little winter rose

During the night has blossomed this little, delicate, modest, delightful rose. 

The rose now is open, for a few days it gaves me the dream of spring.

My little rose has lost its petals. I hope spring comes soon to see new roses bloom.

Introduction

Hello Fellow Artists,

I am very excited to be a part of this wonderful blog. I have been "lurking" in the back ground for sometime. I have enjoyed reading all the wonderful contributions that all the artists have made. 

I am a botanical artist and natural science illustrator by training. I specialize in relationships between animals and the plant world, mainly butterflies and insects with their host plants. 

In the New Year I decided to "get serious" and I have created a 52/52 Painting Challenge for myself. I will be doing  52 paintings in 52 weeks and posting them to my blog. I thought I would share my first painting with you. My favorite color is PURPLE and I find it very hard to resist anything purple.

I paint in a variety of techniques and mediums and share my experience and tips on my blog. I look forward to sharing my journeys with you and am thrilled to be a part of this group of talented and passionate artists!

Happy painting!

Mindy

FIRST FLOWER

Chaenomeles japonica - watercolour on Moleskine

A Merry Christmas to you all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS - BUON NATALE dall'ITALIA
Angela Maria Russo

ROSE BERRIES

a little watercolour - Rose berries