Featured Artist: Cynthia Padilla

I am a botanical artist and natural science illustrator working in traditional mediums...pencil, ink, gouache.  This work often requires working outdoors 'in situ' and for those times I work in any number of various and sundry sketchbooks.  Even with all of the time and hours put into a big formal botanical painting, still nothing beats the simplicity, honesty and immediacy of a sketch.  Are you putting off beginning the practice?  What are we talking about here....a pencil? A sketchpad?  Thats all you need to begin. The key to making it a habit is to keep things simple and for heavens sake do not criticize your first attempts.  Have you seen the er, uh 'humble' scribbles in the journals from Lewis & Clarks big expedition?   If you think you would like attempt some color, a small tin of watercolor pencils are portable and fun to try.  Make sure all packs up quickly and stays put together all the time, in one unit.  I am passionate about sketchbooks and suppose the fact that one guided me into my career is a reason. 

I was, well, 'discovered'  while sketching in a small neighborhood nature study center.  Just sketching and note taking.  This was ages ago.  An art major with the summer off sketching in a nature park. The staff naturalists taught me the rules of the artform which combines art and science, and the rules, there were many.  Never having liked bugs of any kind, I became fascinated over that summer, carefully drawing the pinned beetles, bugs and butterflies.  You know, I had not a clue back then, that wandering about with sketchbook in hand, would someday guide me to my passion.  My life's work.-"

Cynthia Padilla
Visit her website.

Join Cynthia sketching the flora and fauna of tropical Guatemala
http://artinstructor.blogspot.com/ .  Or in your hometown.

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Comments

[Dave]

That is wonderful! It's hard to go wrong when you follow your passion.