I had the idea last fall to redo my garden (it had lost all design cohesion) but I wasn't sure how. I have two gardens, a front one, a back one, and they're quite different. Both are being transformed. But THIS story is about my front garden.
For several reasons (one of which was our recent horrendous drought), I decided to go Mediterranean.
I couldn't conjure up a design at first. Over time, shapes appeared in my mind's eye. Then colors and textures, then individual plants. It was like looking into a crystal ball day after day and seeing a garden appear with increasing clarity, of its own volition, in its own time.
When I can't sleep at night, I go to the garden in my imagination and have a look around and see what has appeared there since last I checked.
I will show you photos later in the spring. Right now, it looks like Brown Dirt World. Here are some sketches of some plants waiting to be planted and a couple that already have been.
This is a new sketchbook with very thin paper and it buckles a lot when watercolor is added, creating awful discolored areas when pages are scanned. Ick. No more watercolors in this book!
Here's a similar set of images done on thicker paper. Lesson learned.
Thanks so much for the great comments! Mitzi and Dana, I used a dip pen and colored India ink on the top two. I used a Niji waterbrush pen filled with acrylic sienna ink in the bottom two. Casey, yes, I did! Robyn, so glad you're back!
Posted by: Laura | March 15, 2010 at 06:41 AM
I love it when you get stuck into the garden, Laura and I love it particularly when you get stuck in with your paintbrush! These sketches are absolutely delicious - and how clever is the use of the red pen.
Now I'm going to go back for another closer inspection - that windmill palm is gorgeous.
Posted by: robyn | March 13, 2010 at 12:29 PM
It's going to be gorgeous. Are you doing the design yourself?
I love the sketches!
Posted by: Casey | March 12, 2010 at 01:29 PM
Laura, Your sketches are always inspiring. Today they got me out of the house in into the garden, where I started preparing the beds for veggies to be planted in a few weeks. Thanks!
Posted by: Damien | March 11, 2010 at 07:34 PM
Love these Laura lines! I hope we get to see the wonderful, finished gardens.
What did you use to sketch the first two images? I am sure you have talked about it along the way...and I just missed it. I really like them a lot!
Have a great weekend.
Dana
Posted by: Dana | March 11, 2010 at 04:33 PM
Lovely sketches, I really like your style, very fluid and free. Really great.
Posted by: Lesley Purcell | March 10, 2010 at 03:27 PM