Painting at Lucia Falls

Lucia Falls, watercolor, 9 x 12  - top

actual waterfall scene - middle

sign at entrance to Lucia Falls - bottom

Allan and I painted at Lucia Falls yesterday, in between boughts of rain showers. I'd never been there before but Allan has painted there several times.

It's a lovely spot near Battle Ground with a gushing, frothing waterfall surrounded by rock formations. Allan already had a special spot picked out, hidden from visitors with a birds-eye view.

I've taken to using watercolors for plein air lately, simply because they are easier to manage. I like using watercolors and definitely need more practice. If I mess up, it's simply a piece of paper, not a whole gessoed panel full of expensive oil paints!

Allan is working on two oil paintings and he will probably go back and finish them this week. I'm happy with my painting; well, happy enough to show it  to you! Oh, I really did see that little fish jump too!

Hibiscus Commission

Hibiscus Commission - 11 x 14 - oil on canvas (top)

Study for Hibiscus Commission #1 - 9 x 12 - watercolor (center)

Study for Hibiscus Commission #2 - 9 x 12 - watercolor (bottom)

Allan's geneology research led him to some new Wises who expressed interest in my art and commissioned me to paint this Hibiscus.

It turns out Allan isn't related to them after all, which for me was neither here nor there. I was just glad to find some some new art friends!

The top image shows the completed painting. Below it are the two watercolor studies I did to work out the composition and colors. The first one was too dark, the second one had the bud in the wrong location. I think I worked it all out in the final painting.

I usually try to learn something about the flowers I paint. According to Wikipedia, Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing about 200–220 species that are native to warm, temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world.

In temperate zones, probably the most commonly grown ornamental species is Hibiscus syriacus, the common garden Hibiscus, also known in some areas as the Rose of Althea. I imagine this is the species I painted.

Wikipedia - Rose of Althea contained similar information.

So now I know!