This grand old palm tree elegantly stretches her fronds high & greets you when you first arrive to the central greenhouse of Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. Seeing her in January made me feel welcome, as if I'd stepped off a jet in Florida.
I painted the old palm tree in my collage sketchbook on a blank page (no background acrylic paint on this one).
I started with a light pencil sketch, then painted the first washes of color. I practiced making the frond-y texture of the palm leaves with a fan brush on scrap paper before adding them to my painting.
The dark shadows under the palm tree make her lofty tips seem brighter, and set off the pink orchid blooms surrounding her.
I kept layering in lights and darks until it felt right.
Colors I used:
Hooker's green for the palm foliage.
Hooker's green plus yellow ochre for the yellowy fronds.
Burnt sienna and yellow ochre for the brick steps and retaining wall.
Permanent rose for the pink orchids.
Hooker's green and permanent blue violet for the dark shadows in and on the palm tree.
Sap green plus Winsor lemon for the touches of yellow-green.
If you're feeling winter's chill and can't escape to a greenhouse, I hope you'll make your own drawing or painting from my reference photo!
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