30/30 Leaf Challenge, week 2

I'm a bit behind with posting the leaf challenge images but will try to catch up. Here are the leaves from week two.

Red oak from Trentham Estate Sept 2011, graphite

Mahonia, from my garden. A gift a gardener  friend at the Cruickshank Botanic Garden, Aberdeen. Watercolour.

Wych Elm, from Aden Country Park Aberdeenshire October 2011, watercolour. Collected by my husband from outside the North East Folklore Archive

Oak  leaf from Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire, Sept 2011, Graphite.

Rhododendron leaf from Aden Country Park, Aberdeenshire,  October 2011. Collected by my husband from outside the North East Folklore Archive. Watercolour

A worse for wear Lime leaf, not sure what type. Collected from Aden Country Park, Aberdeenshire, October 2011.  

Week one - 30/30 Leaf Study Challenge.

Here's a selection of leaves painted for the first week of the 30 day leaf challenge. There's no doubt that some leaves are definitely easier to paint than others! I found it difficult to paint them in such a short amount of time too and only allowed about 1- 2 hrs each but some have taken a little longer. I'd normally spend longer than this on my work but it's good practice to set a time limit.Not sure I'll manage 30 paintings or drawings in 30 days but we'll see!

Bit of a cheat because I completed the first two, including this Oak from Duff House before October.

   

Another one completed before the start but thought I'd incliude it all the same. It's from a Herb Robert plant that arrived in the garden without invitation and gets everywhere! but it's lovely ground cover and gives this fantatic colour.  

Hydrangea leaf from my mother. The large hydrangea grows by the front door of my paerents house. Collected Sept 11

Norway maple collected from Trentham Estate, Staffordshire,  Sept 11

Copper beech collected from Duff House grounds in Banff  2010. I worked there for a couple of years until Jan 11 during which time I collected and painted many leaves.

Oxalis, I found this growing in the compost heap at the Cruickshank Botanic Garden at Aberdeen University during my studentship as a gardener in 2005.

Beech, collected from Trentham Estate, Staffordshire, September 2011

Botanical Artists, 30 Day Leaf Challenge

On October the 1st I started a challenge - to paint 30 leaves in 30 days! The task was set by botanical artist and illustrator Mindy Lighthipe via the Facebook Botanical Artists Group.  It all started when Mindy was invited to be the guest artist for the new Botanical Artists blog. Mindy wrote about her previous experience of a similar task and invited other artists to join her in a  new 30/30 challenge- so I decided to give it a go!


I have chosen to paint leaves given to me by friends and family or from places that I have some personal connection with.

Last week I visited my home town in Staffordshire and collected leaves from a number of locations including the Trentham Gardens  estate- it was the first time I had visited the beautiful gardens since I was a child.

Here's the first leaf. It's from an enormous Acer cappadocium at Trentham Gardens which the estate manager estimates dates back to the1840's.

I'll be posting my leaves at the end of each week for the remainder of the challenge.