GARDEN INSPIRATION
PAINT YOUR GARDEN: TIPS FROM THE ARTIST
• Let your curiosity guide you. What catches your eye? Color? Texture? Shape? Cut a few leaves, flowers, or stems to bring inside. I prefer to paint indoors because the light is more consistent, there’s no wind to dry my paint too quickly, and there are no bugs to land in wet paint.
• Choose simple leaf or flower shapes in the beginning and simplify your compositions to make them easier to paint. A single flower or leaf, or a stem with one flower and one or two leaves are good choices. Violas and pansies are some of my favorite flowers to paint because they have simple shapes and are relatively flat.
Peas always seem to hide when I’m ready to harvest them. I grew a purple variety one year. They were
How does your garden inspire you?
• The best piece of advice I ever heard is that drawing is not a talent you’re born with but a skill you can develop. Spend time studying plants and flowers and sketching them with pencil. Pay attention to shapes of flowers and leaves. Look closely at how stems connect to one another. How many petals do you see? How many leaves? The closer you look, the better your drawing will be. The more you sketch, the better you’ll get.
• Challenge yourself to mix your own colors and match them as closely as you can. Spend time experimenting with colors and getting to know your paints. Choose one red, one blue, and one yellow, then see how many colors you can create. Keep notes in a sketchbook to refer back to later.
Painting and sketching are wonderful ways to connect with nature. Art-making helps you slow down and be present in the moment. Remember to have fun and enjoy the process!
Anne Butera is a self-taught artist who finds inspiration in the beauty of her garden and the magic of nature. She works primarily in watercolor but also loves challenging herself to try new things. She strives to seek out and celebrate life’s little joys and daily graces. Anne writes the blog My Giant Strawberry; teaches in person and online; and sells her art, designs, and fabric on her website and elsewhere on the web. She and her husband live in a small town in rural, southwest Wisconsin. Learn more and connect with Anne at
www.mygiantstrawberry.com
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