Fruits(and Vegetables) of My Labor

All images © 2011 by Linadona Botanica, LLC

I definitely have not posted much on my blogs because I have been busy painting every chance that I can when I am not teaching or working on assignments for my botanical class.
My sister and I decided to form Linadona Botanica, LLC, a business based on my botanical watercolors inspired by our love of garden, kitchen and home and a shared fondness for Italian culture and food. We are creating several collections of designs that will be available for art licensing this spring for the stationery, gift, home, kitchen, tabletop and garden markets. My sister, Dona, is my best critic (besides my daughter) and will handle contracts and business leaving me free to create. We have always wanted to work together creatively and the time seemed to right.
Right now we are working on finalizing our website and getting our display materials ready for the Surtex Show in New York City from May 15-17 at the Jacob Javits center. We will be in booth #657 where we will be debuting our fresh, new collections. I am very excited about all the possibilities. I just wish there were 48 hours in a day!
What you see above is our ad that will be appearing in the Surtex print directory. I thought it would be a good way to introduce Linadona Botanica. Our website is still just a splash page but will be up in the next month.

Holiday Baking

Image copyrighted ©2010 by Linda Warner Constantino

I have been painting lots of botanical studies on my break. I sit in my studio and listen to Andrea Bocelli sing Christmas songs and paint away. I wanted to make some Christmas gifts instead of buy them so I got this idea to make some homemade granola that I love and put it in bags with illustrated labels. I came up with the design above. The pyrocantha seem so festively colored this time of year so I selected a branch and painted this watercolor and then brought it into Photoshop and designed it. The granola recipe I use is from Spannocchia in Tuscany where I teach Plein Air Painting Workshops each summer in watercolors and sometimes oils. The recipe is American but I love it. I put dried cranberries in it this time of year.

Paphiopedlium Maudiae

Paphiopedlium Maudiae © 2010 by Linda Warner Constantino

This is a detail from latest botanical assignment that I did in watercolor for the Botanical Distance Learning course I am taking through the Society of Botanical Artists in England. Though this is not how I paint normally but as I stated in my previous post I am enjoying the challenge of this discipline. It is teaching me to be a lot more patient! I chose to use Lanaquerelle Hotpress paper and I really like it. It seems to respond well to washes.

Turnip

Turnip by Linda Warner Constantino © 2010

I am busy painting for a Distance Learning Class in Botanical Painting through the Society of Botanical Arts in England. It is the most challenging thing I have ever done. I work somewhat loose and though I can draw realistically I have never applied myself to painting that way.There are a lot of rules to follow and the room for creativity is narrow but I like doing it. It helps that I have been doing watercolors for a long time but mastery is a ways off. In fact, I read somewhere that it takes 10,000 hours to master something so not sure I will get it in this lifetime :)
The turnip above is from my sketchbook and shows how I like to work–loose but still realistic.

Daniella's Garden

Daniella's Garden - 4 by 6"- Khadi Paper - © 2010 by Linda Warner Constantino

Here is one of the little watercolors that will be in my upcoming show Chasing the Light opening August 9th at the Art League Gallery on Hilton Head. It was a dusk scene and everything was seemed to be blue or green. It was painted on smooth Khadi paper which is definitely different than the rough. I find every time I change papers it affects my way of working to some extent. This scene attracted me because it evokes a kind of contemplation and intimacy.

Fattoria Doorways

Fattoria Doorways - 4 by 6" - Watercolor on Khadi paper © 2010 by Linda Warner Constantino

I liked the way the light was hitting the grass in this view with the simple rustic wall with doorways.

Painting in Italy

Morning Road at Spannnocchia - 4 by 6 in. Watercolor on Khadi paper. © 2010 by Linda Warner Constantino

I spent the month of June in Italy painting in watercolors and oils. I received a presidential fellowship from SCAD to do this. I also taught a watercolor workshop at Spannocchia, a green hotel and working organic farm in Tuscany. We painted on location and on the farm. I painted several of small studies so I could demonstrate but still leave have time to help students. The experience of being able to immerse myself in painting for a month was unforgettable.

I will be having a show of my work entitled Chasing the Light at the Art League of Hilton Head Gallery on Hilton Head in South Carolina. The show opens August 9 and goes through September 10. The opening reception is on Tuesday, August 11 from 5-7 pm.