Today I am aiming to bring to you all the important information on the Western Australian Wild Flower, The Red and Green Kangaroo Paw. These natives are unique and beautiful to Western Australia. I have chosen this wild flower because it appeals to me, especially, and then I will be proceeding in the Art Creation, of the native flower I have chosen, the Red and Green Kangaroo Paw. Hopefully this Art creation, is a beautiful representation of one of the Iconic native flowers, of Western Australia. I am planning to use, Acrylic Paints, fine liner texture, and to finish the painting, in hard and soft pastels.
I will be giving the, information, on the Western Australian Native Flowers. Some questions I try and answer, are why the Native plants and Wild Flowers appeal to people, in Australia and in other countries, and who have, and are the Australian Artists who paint these unique and beautiful flowers? Most importantly are these native flowers sold, and to whom and why?.
Australia has the Largest Floral Show On Earth. The wild flower collection in Western Australia, has more than 12,000 species, over 60% are not found anywhere else in the world. These wild flowers colour the landscapes in Australia, from the Coast to the Forests and the Cities, to the Australian Outback. The six month flowering season begins in the North of Western Australia, in June and July on the wide plains of the Pilbara, Goldfield and the Coral Coast, where the vibrant blooms contrast with the sandy, earth, rugged Canyons and the Turquoise sea. By September, the flowering season has moved south and reached Perth’s Botanical gardens, Nature reserves and National parks, finishing with a profusion in October and November, that dazzle the spectator with, colour, abundance and sheer diversity in shape and size. Through the Forests and Coastal regions, of the Southwest of Western Australia. David Attenborough, wrote that in the Southwest Region of Western Australia there are 400 species of the Native Orchids, which make up 10% of the 25,000 Orchid species that are out in the world. ( Information all, in the Wildflowers of Western Australia ).
Anne Hayes ( FL. 2010 – ) http://annehayes.com.au/index.html. Paints Australian Wild Flowers since 2010, and paints the wild flowers in watercolours. Her Native plants and Wild Flower Water colours, are in collections in Australia and Overseas.
Patricia Weeks, (2018 – – of Alice Springs, Central Australia, Australia), is a Wild Flower and Australian Native Plant and Australian Outback , Landscape Artist. Weeks Oil paintings are in Collections in Australia and Overseas.
Alison Marjorie Ashby – (1901 – 1987), was an Australian Botanical Artist and Plant Collector.
It may seem that Australian Native and Wildflowers are difficult to buy. No it is easy to buy Australian, Natives and Wildflowers from on line leading florists. The best place to shop online for Native Plants, is ( Finder.com.au ) who specializes in Australian Natives. The Top Florists export and deliver Native Australian Plants, both in Australia and Overseas. people buy the Australian Natives because they have a long shelf life, unique, unusual and beautiful. The flowers are a conversation opener, and this also makes the flowers a great selling point.
The following photo shows, the watercolour paper collage, I have prepared to start of the process in my Native Flower creation. I have used the Mont Marte–Silver Series, Light green to paint over the card coloured cut outs, which I glued onto the watercolour paper.
In this next step, I plan to draw firstly in HB Dark Lead pencil, from a free photo search on the Internet, of a West Australian native flowers. I will then trace over this line, with a fine line texture, so that it will be easier to see the picture, and to work on the, painting, through to the completion stage.
I have chosen the West Australian Kangaroo Paw. The Red and Green Kangaroo Paws, are a West Australian Icon. It is only found in the South West of West Australia. Kangaroo Paws are an unscented flower, they are not insect pollinated. They usually grow between ten or more hairy flowers, that open one at a time and these can be seen unfolding from August to October (winter to spring). This plant should not be treated as a perennial , it does not attract bees or birds, but it grows well in sandy soils, growing to a height to two metres. The Kangaroo Paw was proclaimed the Floral Emblem of West Australia in 1960. It is classed and protected and is seen on uniforms and vehicles of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. (This, Information was found, in the Wildflowers of West Australia.com)
The following photo shows the drawing, I have done, and, then outlined in Black fine liner texture, which makes the picture easy to see, and work on, in the next stage of the painting.
In the following article by Aine Divine, her ideas and creative processes are exactly the steps which I use, to create my unique mixed media, collage, and art creations. I thought I would give you a view into her creative process and art work. In my case, I use Wild Flowers of Western Australia, and Aine Divine paints flowers.
Aine Divine (in the Artist Palette), says that she finds inspiration in the what is out there daily, to create bold and beautiful artworks. Aine says that flowers are a subject, that are perfectly suited to mixed media. In which shapes and colours are expressed, through mixed media, the flowers, are then filled, with life and energy. The joy of mixed media, collage is when you initially make a start, and are willing to experiment, with colours and papers, you are then bound to create a painting, that is unique, original each time, you attempt to make a painting.
The top tip Aine gives, is to apply a shady colour, underpainting, with a large brush, in all directions, and to not be to precious with getting a perfect result. Then instantly you should see, a great result. Then you can draw and continue to complete a painting, that will be full of atmosphere, colour and be a creative art, master painting. I can relate to Aine Divine’s ideas because I work in exactly the same style, and use similar art technique. Before coming across this article that Aine Divine wrote, I had not seen an explanation, that referred to exactly in the way I worked, in this particular, art creation style. The power of the written word?
The following photo is the start of the Acrylic painting. I have used the colours Burnt umber for the trees and for the colour of the soil, that is around the Kangaroo paws. The colours of the Kangaroo Paw I have used are, Scarlet, light green, black and for the whites on the tree trucks, I have used Titanium white. The next stage is to continue in the hard and soft pastels, to complete, the mixed media, collage painting.
This is the completed mixed media, collage, I have Art Created of the Western Australian, Red and Green Kangaroo Paw, which is the Icon, for the State of Western Australia.
The Red and Green Kangaroo Paw of Western Australia, By Marie C, 2018.
I am adding a mixed media, collage painting on Native Plants, that I put in an exhibition earlier, this year 2018.
Bansksias, Bottlebrush, Grevilleas, Native Plants, Of Australia, By Marie C, 2018.
Thank you for visiting my site, and I hope you enjoyed my sharing today. I look forward to seeing you all, in the next Blog.
Fresh Paint--Perspectives--My Version 