It was a set of Derwent watercolor pencils that started it all. I was 14, riding high through the summer of my young life, and these pencils were everything to me.
That summer I was finally old enough to enroll in a biological illustration course offered at a local science center. I had waited years to take the course -- an eternity by adolescent measure! -- and now I finally had the chance to use some high-quality art supplies. It was an amazing experience. I left with a few finished pieces, ink drawings of lilies and pea plants, that are now my best reminder that yes, I CAN do this thing called art.
Sometime after completing the course I became the proud owner of imported watercolor pencils. The funny thing is, I hardly used my Derwents. I would open the tin case and stare at the lacquered shafts, lined up so neatly. When I did use any of the colors, I made sure to replace them in the factory-designated order. Can anyone say uptight?
No matter. Fast forward a couple decades, where I have revisited the curling, trumpeting blossom of the lily, the frilled petal edges juxtaposed against the razor-sharp leaves. The irony is not lost on me, this return to a subject matter from my past. I loved seeing how the flowers unfolded and thinking about how these new lilies compare to those of my youth.
That summer I was finally old enough to enroll in a biological illustration course offered at a local science center. I had waited years to take the course -- an eternity by adolescent measure! -- and now I finally had the chance to use some high-quality art supplies. It was an amazing experience. I left with a few finished pieces, ink drawings of lilies and pea plants, that are now my best reminder that yes, I CAN do this thing called art.
Sometime after completing the course I became the proud owner of imported watercolor pencils. The funny thing is, I hardly used my Derwents. I would open the tin case and stare at the lacquered shafts, lined up so neatly. When I did use any of the colors, I made sure to replace them in the factory-designated order. Can anyone say uptight?
No matter. Fast forward a couple decades, where I have revisited the curling, trumpeting blossom of the lily, the frilled petal edges juxtaposed against the razor-sharp leaves. The irony is not lost on me, this return to a subject matter from my past. I loved seeing how the flowers unfolded and thinking about how these new lilies compare to those of my youth.