Colour from the season - Rooks feather black

These feathers were in my path when walking through the woodland a couple of weeks ago. All the quills had been cut off, which seemed a bit brutal. So I asked some experts in their fields(!) and both said probably rook or crow and most likely a Peregrine(falcon)capture, in which case it died quickly. These are the blacks and greys in the feathers...

"It crow'kt"- (TJ)!

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Tree leaf bud 2

Thank's to the friends who've collected things for me to sample this month - Bec's dog's mercury, Trevor's feathers (not quite finished) and here below Ali's tree bud - don't know what it is yet? but I expect I'll find out before long.

March has been a bit of a mad month, starting new projects and finishing with old ones - An abundance of colours now that Spring's here, watch this space..!

Wearing blinkers

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Magnolia blossom white

This was the most amazing magnolia tree, really old, and in a secret walled garden(!) I've sampled another magnolia - also lovely, but it flowered before I was able to draw it. (I'll add it's colours later). This one was less colourful - but had an almost reptilian quality to it, which I think I've caught. Definitely my favourite notebook drawing so far...

as mentioned above - following up with this delicate pink Magnolia. Raggedy petals and soft colours...

If you like this post - you can subscribe to Planet Sam by email :) here.

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Euphorbia green

There are hundreds of varieties of Euphorbia, I have no idea which this one is, but it does have very nice bracts.

Most of my freehand drawing is done using a dip pen.  It's more difficult to control and the pen can splat ink all over the place or just dry up half way through a line. In spite of this - or probably because of it, I much prefer it...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Dogs Mercury Green

The 'annua' species of this plant was used in the past as a purgative, diuretic and anti syphilitic. Although named after the messenger of the gods, this species (which is around everywhere at the moment), doesn't have quite so much going for it. It's a fresh green colour and a bit poisonous...

(thanks for this Bec!)
...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the season - Hellebore green

The leaves and stem of this Hellebore I first documented in January. Now it's just started to flower - a stunning pale green and dusky red flower. Colours separated here as I really couldn't get them working together...

(for anyone missing the daffodils this year - I've added a couple of photos to my (March) daffodil posting).

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook

Colour from the season - Damson blossom

This beautiful and very old Damson tree was in London and covered with lichen - quite a stunted sort of lichen compared to those I've sampled in North Devon, but it's probably good news that there's any lichen in London at all - as it doesn't usually survive well in urban air quality.
After I 'd drawn it and noted the colours - all the flowers came out! - first time I've had to add an extra row on a sample page - but decided that the yellow in those stamens was worth the effort...

(thanks Graf and Serena!)

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

The little things - In Vogue...

"...Bring strong florals into the house through accessories such as trays printed with dahlias and chrysanths for cocktails..."

Fantastic to see my 'Dahlia & Chrysanths' tray is featured in this months Vogue magazine!! One of a series of botanical and geometric trays I designed for Swedish company Ary Trays last year.

for more info please visit their website at www.arytrays.com

 "...There is little that can replace the joy of rushing out every day to find another petal unfolding and the heady scent of new blossoms..."

...my thoughts exactly!

Colour from the Season - Cherry blossom pink

It's well into into the fifth month of noting down colours in my surrounding world, so far I've documented 235 colours from 87 different plants (well mainly plants).

Now there's so much colour around its getting hard to keep up with it. Suddenly blossom is coming out everywhere. Love these warm colours (when put together like this) which I found in this Cherry blossom growing near Victoria Park in Bath...

If you like this post - you can subscribe to Planet Sam by email :) here.

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

The little things...The English Home magazine

The little things in life that make the difference...


...having my fabrics spotlighted in this months issue of The English Home magazine (April), alongside those of Emily Bond, Louise Body and Helen Amy Murray.

Colour from the Season - Hyacinth blues

This hyacinth drawing is part of a botanical series which I designed last year. Lovely to draw as long as you like the intense smell of them close up - I have these in the garden amongst the masses of little grape hyacinths because I like the combined scale (and scent) that they achieve together. These were their colours last week...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Black Pussy Willow

An uncommon Willow - easier to draw than to describe. However I did stumble upon these incredible microscopic photos by Brian Johnston (the furry not the black variety) while I was researching it...

If you like this post - you can subscribe to Planet Sam by email :) here.

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Rhododendron leaves

These leaves were all collected from the ground, under a gigantic leaved Rhododendron. The leaf I've drawn was twelve inches long, glossy green with furry underside in the darker of these shades of brown green and orange. I'm not a fan of Rhododendrons - but was completely captivated by the architectural and (colour) variations of the leaves of this one...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Daffodil yellow

Daffs are coming out in force right now and being outdoors is just so much more cheerful because of it. Here in Devon they are blooming everywhere - wild ones, miniature ones, fragrant ones, frilly ones - I chose these because they are a classic daffodil yellow...

A late addition - but for anyone who might be missing daffodils, here are a few from Hartland Abbey at the weekend.

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Leaf bud 1 (Wayfaring Tree)

At the moment I've only been able to identify what tree this isn't! I'll have to fill in this small detail when there's a bit more on it to identify it by. I love this time of year - all the trees coming into leaf and the leaf buds are the most sculptural forms - they always remind me of the photographs of Karl Blossfeldt.

pen, ink, pastel, varnish...

(...its a Vibernum! - thanks Pete)

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Crocus (2nd time!)

Loud colours aren't they these croci ?! - really clashing.
Month of hares, winds and jonquils - Hello March..!

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.