In a little over a month I will be exhibiting in First Impressions, Celebrating the Process of Printmaking at Summit Artspace. Curator Dan Coffield’s proposal involved the inclusion of process materials and proof prints to illustrate the artist’s journey from idea to finished art. The series I plan to exhibit is As Potent As a Charm, a reference to Rappaccini’s Garden by Nathaniel Hawthorne. While my ideas and sketches are numerous, the quickly approaching deadline requires that I narrow the focus to a workable number of pieces, so I am concentrating on five images inspired by the poisoning mnemonic: Hot as a Hare, Blind as a Bat, Dry as a Bone, Red as a Beet and Mad as a Hatter.

First up is that feverish hare. He probably shouldn’t have nibbled on the hemlock.

For mystery and intrigue look no further than the perennial bed outside your door. There’s a chance that the sunny border contains some dark secrets – cheerful looking plants hiding dangerous tendencies grow among flowers whose relatives are positively murderous. Tales of encounters with deadly botanicals have been a part of history and literature for centuries – consider Socarates . . . Shakespeare . . . and Harry Potter.

Beatrice, the title character from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1844 story, Rappaccini’s Daughter, tended her father’s walled garden of potent specimens. Her intimate contact with the subjects of his medicinal research proved disastrous. Hawthorne’s descriptions of Beatrice’s garden detailed the flowers, the crumbling statuary and fountains and the general decay, but left out specific plant identifications. Imagining possible plantings, my initial sketches feature such possibilities as Castor Bean, Foxglove, Datura and Henbane.

Lilies
watercolor
8 x 15 1/2 inches

detail:

Sketching and painting summer blooms is an engaging way to spend time in the garden. This small lily is a prelude to a planned larger piece.

Lily
watercolor

The recent hot spell must agree with the spider lilies – their blooms are quite striking this year. Although unsure of the exact species (there are at least 64), the Hymenocallis is from the family Amaryllidaceae.

Spider Lily
watercolor

Penny was such a sweet girl it’s hard to imagine just how much her owners must miss her. It is hoped that this mixed media portrait, commissioned by Ken B., will be a reminder of all the joy she brought to her family.