CYCLAMEN

Angela Maria Russo - Cyclamen - acquerello su taccuino Magnani

The sweet smelling cyclamen of the European woods does not adapt to an indoor situation. The cyclamen that brighten up our winters originally comes from the area that stretches from the Egean Sea to Persia (Iran).  From the Cyclamen, with its round, flat tuber similar to an onion, developed the numerous varieties of large flowered cyclamen (each flower being about three or four centimeters wide) that are used as flowering indoor plants in winter. The heart-shaped elegant leaves are streaked with silver as are the flowers that open at the end of a long, straight stem. These flowers may be cyclamen in colour but also different tones of red, pink or white. 

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

Snow again

It snow again in Rome, less than last week.

it will melt soon and these little birds will begin to build their nests

Japanese quince, sparrow, robin and wren - watercolour and pencil on sketchbook Magnani

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

FIRST FLOWER

Chaenomeles japonica - watercolour on Moleskine

Sandy Williams

The weather has been hot and humid, uncomfortable for humans but a definite plus if you're a mushroom! Here is a selection of flowers and mushrooms that have been blooming or popping up in the gardens and fields in our area, southwest lower Michigan, during the last week or so.

Watercolor seashells - Mary Richmond

 I have been an invited member here for several years but this is the first time I have actually contributed some drawings/paintings. Almost every day I draw and paint either out in nature or from nature and these seashells were some that I collected on a nearby beach on one of my last walks. It is still too cold here on Cape Cod to spend too much time painting outside, especially on the beach so I did these in my studio. Soon enough I will be back outside.

The first ones are moon snails and even though they are voracious predators I find them beautiful. At this time of year is is rare to find a whole one so when I do it always manages to find its way into my pocket.

These are knobbed whelks and although I have painted many whole ones I love the twists and turns of the ones with holes, cracks and even parts missing.

Both pieces are sketched in pencil and painted in watercolor. I write an almost daily nature blog so please stop by at Cape Cod Art and Nature.