Second stage of bromeliad botanical illustration, © Wren M. Allen

I’ve added some volumetric shading to this illustration and painted the bromeliad’s stripes on top. Yikes! That large stripe on the rear, short leaf is very alizarin crimson and jumps right out of the page. I’ll have to correct in the next painting session, before the alizarin stains the paper too strongly.

First layers of wash added to bromeliad illustration, © Wren M. Allen

Here you can see the first flushes of color added to the new bromeliad illustration. I’ve decided to include the pot, as its brilliant red glaze balances the red bracts so well.

Full of possibility: Blank zinc plate for painting a retablo.

Every year, the Lawndale Art Center in Houston holds a fundraiser on the Day of the Dead, auctioning “retablos” made  and donated by local artists. They distribute blank zinc plates in late August to any artists who are interested. I dropped by on Wednesday, August 25 and got one of the last plates available.

In years past, I’ve painted whimsical, surreal animals in unusual situations: a crocodile-angel playing guitar on stage, a feline fairy godmother. I think I’m ready for a change this year, though. What do you think should be my subject?

Studio still-life of bromeliad and sketchbook, © Wren M. Allen

I’ve started a new botanical illustration of a bromeliad. The leaves are a much warmer green and stronger purple than the last plant.

The bromeliad illustration is finally completed, © Wren M. Allen

At last, the painting of the bromeliad that I started during the illustration extension course at the Jardim Botânico is finished! It required working from sketches painted from life, and photos taken during the class.

The naming convention for oil well projects is based on a theme that is unique to each field or area. For example, the UK North Sea wells are all named for the wives of the long-ago company managers; Norwegian wells are usually named for Norse gods; there is a field in the Gulf of Mexico named after classic rock bands. Etc.

The new well project in question is named for a famous hat.

As a designer, my challenge will be to create a logo that pays homage to the icon without actually stepping over the trademark line. It doesn’t help that there are universities and law firms using the name as well, so their logotypes must also be steered clear of.

Stay tuned for updates, and wish me luck!

My Dog Tulip is based on the book by J.R. Ackerley and is an animated film based on hand-drawn and painted images (shocking I know! ). Christoper Plummer, the late Lynne Redgrave and Isabella Rossellini provide the voices. The drawings are all very loose and sketchy and really catch dog behavior, at least from what I saw in the trailer. It arrives in US theaters in September. Definitely has that poignant yet heartwarming vibe.

Waiting to bloom: Corpse Flower Lois © Wrenaissance Art

Like almost everybody else in Houston this July, I rushed to see Lois the Corpse Flower bloom at the Museum of Natural Science. Or rather, to watch her in bud, as she didn’t actually bloom until 3 weeks after the initial announcement. The crowds were not too bad if you went at 7 am, as I usually did. Besides the flower, it was an amusing exercise in non-profit public relations, marketing and expectations management. How does one balance the need to promote an interesting educational event to the public using the media, without pushing said newsmedia into a hype machine for a natural process that can’t possibly meet the breathless vaporings of the 6 o’clock broadcasters?

The atrium where the flower was displayed was very cramped, with no room to discreetly sketch, although I did manage to get a basic palette mixed for a final composition one weekday morning.

The plant itself is pretty interesting. Arum titan grows from a corm, just like anemones. Unlike anemones, it grows on limestone cliffs in the Indonesian rainforest. The bloom imitates the look and smell of carrion to attract the beetles that pollinate it. Immediately after pollination, the giant flower closes, and the plant enters dormancy, later re-sprouting in its vegetal stage.

For an illustrator, the flower offers many rendering challenges of texture, color and composition.

Check back often to see updates as I illustrate this fascinating flower!