Adventures with Brusho - Part Seven - "What's in a name, that which we call a rose?"

"Winter Solstice Roses"
9" x 6"

Emerald Green, Leaf Green and Brilliant Red Crystal Colors. Can I be honest here? I was just shaking the Brusho -- trying to make a Christmas tree! I scrunched Saran Wrap on it and walked away from the table, met a friend for coffee and came back to find this. Looks more like roses than a tree. And in Texas, the winter can produce the prettiest roses. The colder temperatures turn the pink of our Pink Promise rose into more intense shades, matching the colors of this painting perfectly. "What's in a name, that which we call a rose?"

The promise of pink
Pink Promise rosebud
December 2016

Flight of the butterfly

The Giant Swallowtail butterfly visiting the Asclepias in the backyard this afternoon.
Because everything is bigger in Texas. . .

Pretty in Pink - September Pre-Fall Rose Edition

Signs of upcoming Fall - the Pink Promise rose starts cranking out lovely blooms again.   I always await with anticipation when I see a bud form, for depending upon the weather conditions, you'll never know what you will get.

World Watercolor Month - Day 6

Peace Lily
10" x 7"

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum), is a genus of about 40 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia.  They may also be known as Spath lilies.  Easy to care for, they are often found in offices and are given as condolence/sympathy plants.  Mine has taken quite well to being in an outside container, adapting to Houston heat and humidity, albeit in a shaded area.
#WorldWatercolorMonth
SaveSave
SaveSave

World Watercolor Month - Day 3

"Lunar Moonflower"

This turned out differently than I expected, but I like it!  Opening moonflower bloom surrounded by Daniel Smith Lunar Black, with the crazy granulation.
SaveSave
SaveSave

World Watercolor Month - Day 1

Here is my "Day (Before) Lily" for the World Watercolor Month.  I added the pistols and stamens with watercolor pencils...after basically dousing this page with water, and adding salt to get the watery and crystallizing special effects.   I am pretty impressed with this sketchbook, it can really take the water well.   Unfortunately, it appears to have been discontinued.

#worldwatercolormonth

Watercolor Wednesday - Day(after) Lily

Watercolor
7 1/" x 6 1/2"

Watercolor sketchbook - Day(After)Lily

The daylily is "Little Business"
I will paint the day before version, it was gorgeous.  I was getting ready to this morning when I thought this looked interesting.

Here's the sketch -

This was fun, sketching and painting "en plein kitchen" en nice cool a/c!
#worldwatercolormonth kickoff
‪

I spy a spider lily

Our spider lily started blooming a few days ago. . .

Get the pink out

It has been so warm, my recent Pink Promise rose bloom has but a mere trace of pink along petal edges and took on more yellow cream tones.

The only promise we have of cooler weather will be the calendar in about four months. . .

Pink rain lilies have returned!

My bright pink rain lilies have reappeared from all the rain Houston has had the past few weeks.  The front white and pink bi-color ones are in full bloom, but I haven't seen the solid pink ones in my side garden in over a year.

Hello, Gorgeous!

 Also impressive!

SaveSave

First Fig

Celeste fig plucked and rescued from the birdies

Finished ripening inside - delicious!!

Garden Update - New plants and flowers! Put up Purple!

Some days you can just hit it right in the Lowe's clearance section. . .after weeks of coming up bupkus, we walked out hands full of pretty purple posies!

Two hanging baskets in our kitchen garden -

Lobelia erinus

Bacopa
Sutera x hybrida

It says the Bacopa can take full sun and the Lobelia morning sun.  I may end up switching their positions.  Right now the Bacopa is on the right.  Both baskets were only $5 each.  I like the shades of purple in both.

The Columbine is a first for the front garden.  This was marked down to $3.

We also picked up Creeping Phlox for $1.  It looked a little less photogenic, but we are willing to give it a chance.  

Creeping Phlox

And this other little purple-flowered plant, which the tag was missing.  If anyone has any idea what it is, let me know!

Mystery plant which looks like tiny violets

Slightly drooping

“...and so many colors
I will have seen...
the menacing greys
and pine greens
the soft pink and purples
of spring
and summer blue
and so many others
without you.” 
― Sanober Khan, A touch, a tear, a tempest

Milkweed Seed Pod Monday. . .

Actually snapped these photos yesterday before the storm winds blew in.  My neighbors love me!  But so do the monarch butterflies and caterpillars. . .

March Monarch Madness

We've been seeing Monarch butterflies flitting about in this spring-like weather and subsequently, more caterpillars munching on asclepia and salvia!

Look carefully, you can see two!
(one newly hatched in the background)

I haven't seen this many monarch caterpillars in years! Hopefully this is good sign they are trying to make a comeback.

Figging

All of our gorgeous weather has encouraged an early leaf out on our Celeste fig tree.  (Bonus ladybug)

Watercolor Wednesday - Tilt

"Butterfly Blue"
Scabiosa - Pincushion Flower
9 3/4" x 9"

"Butterfly Blue"
Pincushion Flower - Scabiosa
9" x 9 3/4"

Same painting, but when I tore the tape off and inadvertently turned the paper, I found I liked one better than the other.  Which do you like?

This was actually a practice study of using color proportions -- predominantly cool with a touch of warm and vice versa to create a pleasing painting composition.

First Fig Bud Spotting

Celeste fig leaf bud

Just Another Monarch Monday

A temporary cover until I went back to Tea2Go to get a lid
Good excuse to get another tea!

Look carefully -
You can still see the caterpillar's stripes on the left one.
The just-formed chrysalis is still hardening

Beautiful!  Like a Christmas ornament
Bonus Scrabble and Boggle scoring points - that black attachment is called a cremaster

The three monarch caterpillars I found and rescued December 30 on the front garden Asclepias (milkweed) have formed their cocoons, and are in the pupa stage.  I always thought their chrysalis looked magically pretty - jade green with metallic gold dots.   Late next week is probably the earliest the butterflies will emerge - it can take 9-14 days.

Fall into the Pink

A beautiful Fall day in Houston - This is my volunteer pink crape myrtle next to my fig tree. 

And while out and about, I found these pink daffodil bulbs at Kroger - $2.99 for 4.  There was a display inside the entry way near the floral department.   i just love throw off the shopper's club card tracking.  Let's see, ground beef, vitamin C, tortillas and...daffodils.  Of course!  

Sunday Sketching and Gardening Adventures - Morning Glory and Red Hatch Chile Pepper

Volunteer Morning Glory
6 1/2" x 5"
watercolor

Red Hatch Pepper
2 1/2 x 3 1/2"
watercolor

Sunday sketchbook sketching and painting.  Did you know that Hatch peppers will turn red?  I didn't.   Haven't tried it yet.  I'm still trying to get more experience and get over my fear of adding shadows.  I'm happy with the highlights, though.

We planted moonflowers in the backyard and were growing them over a trellis.   And evidently purple morning glories!  They appeared about a week ago and are giving the moonflowers a run for the money/trellis.

Morning glory versus moonflowers