Sharing a life, growing a garden, and painting a rose

Learning something new from an old master

Hello beautiful people,

How was your week? Mine felt longer and more full than usual, in a good way. There is something about the presence and perspective that filming can bring to daily routines that stretches out the passage of time.

I mention in this week’s video that I have changed my title from “artist” to “artist and gardener.” This simple change reflects a larger mindset shift - it’s not a time for partitioning things off, it’s a time for weaving them together.

---

As it turns out, being an “artist and gardener” is not a novel idea. There are many who have walked this path before me, and I’m turning to them for inspiration and guidance.

Since Garden Coco is in her "year of the rose,” this week I drew inspiration from Pierre-Joseph Redouté, a master of roses and one of the most widely celebrated botanical artists of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The inspiration ~ Pierre-Joseph Redouté

The muse ~ a yellow rose

The first layer ~ a practice in patience

Since I haven’t watercolored for ages, it took me a moment to get into a flow with this rose. The first thing I noticed was how much focus and concentration doing something so detailed takes. Fortunately, I took plenty of breaks…

Adding oyas pots to raised beds for irrigation

Rue in bloom, a wasp’s favorite snack

Painted the garden beds - what would you call this color?

---

The way that I watercolor is in two distinct phases - the first layer and the details. The details are always my favorite, because slowly but surely, they bring the subject to life. I am also of the opinion that on a piece like this, you can never have enough detail, as long as it’s considered and with a light touch. It was really only time that stopped me.

Tried a new set of Faber Castell polychromos and I’m in love

It felt lovely, coming back to watercolors, learning something new from an old master, and painting what is growing right here in the soil.

And how about you? What creative projects are you starting this season?

xo. Jess & Coco