Corner lot
Posted: July 19, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized 37 CommentsI love hollyhocks but I can’t grow them. I think the secret to their success may be poor soil and a good dose of neglect. I found these growing down the street, on a corner lot where there’s a house but no landscaping. It’s a good thing I painted them today because I spotted backhoes and bulldozers this afternoon, and I suspect this corner may be manicured soon.
I painted this in direct watercolour (no pencil drawing first) on a pad of Saunders Waterford CP paper with a wide flat brush. I was hoping to capture the main shapes of the flowers and leaves with fresh colour, and show a bit of the wildness of the corner lot.
What a shame if these are lost in the manicure. You have captured the wildness of them, but also the beautiful light and shadows. Gorgeous, Shari.
Thanks Lois. The hollyhocks are gone now. So sad but I was right about the bulldozer. Nothing left but dirt in that spot.
Beautiful, bright vivid colors! I would like to say it’s probably easier to paint them, than grow them, but I’ve never had luck either way!
Thanks Denise. I would say it’s easier to paint them than to grow them too.
Gros WOW pour les couleurs, la composition et le sujet! Que de talent Shari!
C’est très gentil, Christiane! Un gros merci!
Fabulous!
Thanks so much Terry!
Bingo! Bravo!
Thanks Alison. Sadly, they are gone now… Maybe I should have tried to transplant them.
That is incredibly inspirational.
Harriet, thank you!!
LOVE! Just got into Seattle for family visit and Sketcherfest!
Lori, I hope Sketcherfest was fun. It sure looked that way in the IG photos that everyone posted.
Love this painting Shari!
Ginie, thank you!!
You got the wildness effect, and lots of white highlights as well.
That’s what I was hoping for Laura Kate.
Such a vibrant capture of an old favorite.
Thanks Barbara!
Gorgeous light-filled sketch, Shari. Yes, I’ve managed to grow a few hollyhocks in my pure London clay garden by buying established plants and then they have self-seeded. The seeds that have landed in the scrappiest, dustiest places are the ones that have thrived. i heard that they hate competition so growing in hostile-seeming places suits their style!
Caroline, I tried to buy some established plants too. And even though they came back for several years, all I got was leaves. Never a stalk or a bloom. Glad you had more luck than me.
Love this loose, lucious and colorful painting of Hollyhocks.
Susie, thank you!!
So beautiful! Those electric green stems look like they were put in over the blue gray background. Is that a new color in your palette?
Hi Sherri,
Thanks so much for having a look. That is my same old palette. Probably lots of Lemon Yellow and Hansa Yellow in the green mix. No new colours this week.
I love the vibrant colors of the hollyhocks and the white areas that help show them off. The neutral greens works so well for the leaves in the background area. Lovely!
Joan, thanks!!
You make it look so easy! I love the looseness of this, and how the leaf veins become a sort of flat pattern in the shapes.
Thanks so much Elizabeth!!
Love, love, love!!!
So beautiful. I want to go paint now 🩷
Thanks Betsy. I want to go paint now too.
You captured the light coming through perfectly!
Thank you Kirsten!
Brilliant!
Iona, thanks so much.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece! It is interesting that sometimes the most vibrant blooms come from neglected spaces—nature has its own way of thriving. I love how you captured the wild charm of the hollyhocks and the untouched corner lot with just direct watercolor. I agree that there’s something special about catching these scenes before they’re changed; your painting keeps that untamed moment alive. #WatercolorArt #UrbanNature #Hollyhocks #PaintingNature