The joy of gardening grows as you learn to appreciate artistic aspects of of plants: the colors of flowers, the shapes of leaves, the forms of seeds. For ages, the plant kingdom has inspired artists of all ilks and genres.
Jill Bliss illustrates nature charmingly; and Chronicle Books published Bliss's nature drawing journal titled "Drawing Nature: A Journal."
Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, you'll enjoy easy artistic exercises from Jill Bliss. The artist introduces her book and her technique in this brief video. Click here to hear a leaf drawing tip from Jill Bliss in her studio and in nature. She'll help you see your flowers and gardens in a new way: From your eye through your hand.
Paying close attention to elements of designs in plants will help you design even more beautiful gardens, beds, borders and containers. Bliss creates whimsical illustrations accessible even to people who claim they cannot draw a straight line. Unlike botanic illustrations with their intricacies and accuracies, these simple flower and leaf drawings can be rendered by just about anybody.
Whimsical illustration inspires and interests me because I collaborated with an illustrator for my new book: "Laid-Back Skier: As In Skiing, So In Life." Denver-based artist Patty Leidy drew not only ski bunnies, but also evergreen and aspen and an edelweiss for "Laid-Back Skier," a gift book "For skiers, riders and snowflakes of all ages." Here's a gallery of Patty Leidy's drawings for "Laid-Back Skier." And here's a brief book trailer video for "Laid-Back Skier."
When winter comes and my garden goes to sleep for winter, I take up my other passion: alpine skiing. I hope you'll take a moment to check out these two charming gift books.
••• Cultivate your corner of the world: You grow your garden; your garden grows you.
Colleen Smith gardens in and writes from a historic neighborhood in central Denver. Her second book, "Laid-Back Skier," was released in September 2011 and is available through FridayJonesPublishing.com or Amazon.com and in bookstores and boutiques.
Colleen Smith's first novel, "Glass Halo," was a finalist for the 2010 Santa Fe Literary Prize.
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