In Celebration of Spring: Hellebore

 I am preparing for my upcoming quarter and am excited to be teaching Watercolor Flowers once again.  My spring garden always fills me with new ideas. I have several different varieties of hellebores planted beneath an old apple tree in my back yard and they suffer neglect and lack of water all summer without complaint. Sometimes I trample their leaves when I prune the apple, and they simply grow new ones.  I got my first hellebore from a friend and it is now about 3 feet by 3 feet.  Wonderful weed-stopper!  I got the idea for the technique I used in this botanical sketch from the early 20th century architect and watercolor artist, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. I love his strong yet quirky drawing and the fact that he has left several unpainted sections in his work.