Sun lovers
Whilst most of the garden is gasping in this enduring heatwave, my succulents are thriving on it. Above is my WIP of succulent watercolours. Micron pen outline first, then initial wash laid down.
These Echeverias and Sempervivums have such an intricate way of growing. And such beautiful colours.
I’ve taken lots of cuttings as they are outgrowing all their containers. I just pop them into tiny vases till their new roots grow (almost immediately), or straight into new terracotta pots. And something else in the garden is blooming in an intricate style…
…my bromeliad. I think it wants it’s portrait painted too!
Similar Posts:
- Bloomin’ lovely!
- Watercolour musings
- Joondalup Art Exhibition 2010
- Spring Blush
- The big and the small of it
18 comments:
Write a comment:
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate each and every one of them. If this is the first comment you have left, your comment will be held in moderation for approval so you may not see it immediately. Once your first comment is approved, all future comments should appear immediately. You can choose to receive any further comments by email. Simply tick Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.
Beautiful, Cindy! I love the depth. I can imagine that as a pattern on fabric.
These are wonderful and that last flower, just fabulous, what a beautiful flower.
Meanwhile, around here in the Northern Hemisphere, on a cold, drab and very dull day, your pictures are an enormously welcome glimpse of warmth – lovely, thank you.
Oh! I really like this painting…simple and beautiful. And your succulents are so healthy! How is it that you are able to transplant them without killing them? Every time I try, they seem to wither. Where is it that you are cutting them?
ps- thanks for the comment on my blog! your work is inspiring.
Lovely four, lovely live, and I do think that last one is begging to be painted.
your bromeliad is just amazing – Ive never seen one that colour before. A friend gave me one a few weeks ago and its just a boring green! WIll it change colour?
How are u coping with our lovely heat wave? I am just about done with it…. getting cabin fever here!
Thanks everyone!
I find suuculents easy to strike if I take about a 2 to 3 inch tip cutting and keep them in a small see through container (glass/ crystal ideal) on the kitchen window sill. There is no strong direct sunlight, just bright light all day. You can see when the new roots develop, and I let these grow to about an inch or so long then transplant them in a sand/soil mixture. It doesn’t take long.
Broms are so hardy and easy to grow. When I lived in the Tropics they grew on tree trunks/ branches with a bit of stocking to keep them tied on – no soil necessary with the high humidity. As long as they’re central water well is kept full you’re ok. Down here in Perth where it is so dry they are planted directly into the ground (mostly sand for good drainage as they hate wet feet) and kept well watered in dappled sunlight. They will eventually flower, which happens over a period of weeks, and then unfortunately the parent plant will slowly die. However, there will be new babies around it’s base, coming off from it’s stem. These are called “pups”, and will quite happily transplant to a new home.
Happy gardening!
Wow!!!
I wish you where around here…(second thought, I wish I was there….it’s too cold here…lol)
I would love to have someone teach me how to do watercolours…..
I love your stuff….I love the tin can full of paint brushes….
Thanks for the tour.
Blessings,
Cindy♥
I saw the paintings of your succulents and only one thing happened – I wanted MORE. I am telling you, Cindy, had you put up hundreds of them, I would have been on here for hours looking at them – each and every one. Although I used to have a plethora of succulents and orchids when we lived in Florida, and I do miss them, that is not what made me love seeing your paintings so much. Currently, were I live, the skies are grey, but THAT is not what made me love seeing your paintings of the succulents. I think what made me “zing”, was the juxtaposition of the perfect patterns inherent in the succulents against the imperfectness of the watercolor paints. They are at once gentle and strong, just like the succulents themselves. I am absolutely smitten by these little depictions. Even while in the midst of writing this comment, I have gone back to look at them again and again. They are beautiful. Just absolutely beautiful. Carolina
Wow Cindy, what colours you have over there (I knów … it’s summer !)
LOVE your leafy sea dragon !!!! (happy new “dragon year”) Seen them on film …. nature makes more wonderful creatures that we can ever imagine !
Thanks for visiting my blog
Do you go to “Geninne Zlatkis” ??? She makes wonderful watercolours too …
love the colours
i’ve tried keeping a few of them alive, but i end up killing them
They are great in any garden. So tough but so pretty and you can reproduce them beautifully in paint.
Love your succulent paintings… just lovely! I wish I had time to do some drawing and painting
Your succulent paintings look 3D, Cindy….awesome work! I love succulents and have a few in pots. Very hardy plants and easy to propagate. Bromeliads have such spectacular flowers! Gorgeous!
Thank you so much guys! If any of you are in the area, I will happily give you armfuls of succulent babies and cuttings, and a cup of tea as well! All of your lovely words have made a very happy start to my week.
Carolina I think you’ve captured exactly why I love watercolours so much – they are so unpredictable! I like to have a puddle of water sitting on top, then flood it with pigment. It swirls and spreads and goes where it wants – it takes on a life of it’s own. A surprise everytime. Not a bad idea about 100 paintings – a succulents series…..
I love how precise your work is Cindy – so controlled and crisp. You must have such a steady hand!!!
Karen, that is ahuge compliment, coming from the Queen of Controlled! The hair in your Charlize piece has me scratching my head thinking “How on earth does Karen do it so fine??”
What a lovely idea for a study