Today’s post features a gallery of six different ways I’ve illustrated Ocotillo, plus a few bonus subjects! The day after I painted an Ocotillo in bloom for my weekly Perpetual Journal art, we had a special visitor that was so amazing I was forced (yes, forced!) to add a second illustration to the same Perpetual Journal page. So far in my Perpetual Journal I’ve only painted one entry per week, to leave room for more entries on each page, in subsequent years.
Ocotillo and a Really Cool Beetle
I think that my post last week about insects must have earned me some brownie points with the CIA (Cool Insect Association) because it appears the CIA sent one of their ambassadors to our patio last Saturday—specifically, an Iron Cross Blister Beetle, so named because they excrete a toxic chemical (cantharidin) through their leg joints and antennae, and cantharidin can cause blisters in humans. On the positive side, cantharidin is used in the medical field as a topical medication for the removal of warts!
This beetle is native to the Southwest US but I've never seen one before, and whoa Nelly—look at those colors! I did not take artistic license with these colors!
Spring in Our Yard (20-minute sketches)
Last Spring I enjoyed creating three quick 20-minute sketches of plants in bloom in our yard, including an Ocotillo. It was fun to start (and finish!) a work of art so quickly; my usual modus operandi is to take more time, starting in the field and then continuing inside in my studio.
One Ocotillo…So Many Flowers!
Also last Spring I captured the abundance of flowers on a single Ocotillo, in One Ocotillo…So Many Flowers! My blog post of March 23, 2023 features an art process video showing how I created this art.
Ocotillo Colors
I painted the colors of Ocotillo flowers and leaves as part of my Tucson Color Journal ~ March. In my year-long Tucson Color Journal series I painted 1 color/day that represented something from nature I saw in or from my yard, including everything from trees and wildflowers to animals, birds, and insects, to skies and clouds. You can see all 12 months of my Tucson Color Journals on my website.
Ocotillo Leaves—Fall Foliage
I’ve captured Ocotillos through the seasons, not just in Spring. Ocotillo leaves turn to a golden yellow in Fall, as I painted for my Tucson Yard Journal ~ September. You can see all of my Tucson Yard Journals to date (June through October) on my website.
Vintage 😉 Paula Art
I thought it would be interesting to include this “vintage” art of mine because (1) it shows how Ocotillos quickly regenerate their leaves after a good rain; (2) it was created with a different medium—colored pencil—which was my favorite medium at the time, before I fell in love with watercolor*; and (3) it shows how my style has evolved in the past 7 years.
* Once I discovered how easy it is for me to mix watercolors to make any color in the universe that I want to create, I was sold on the medium. I still use colored pencil sparingly, just a little bit here and there.
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